New Delhi (Sputnik) — A day after the massive search operation conducted by Indian security forces in Kashmir's restive Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, militants attacked a police post adjacent to the district collector's office, critically wounding a policeman. Senior police officer Tani Singh has sustained bullet injuries to his abdomen and is in critical condition.
Meanwhile, security forces have launched a massive cordon and search operation in 20 villages in the neighboring Shopian districts since Thursday morning as they received reports of militants present there as well.
Earlier on Monday, the Indian Army had eliminated Talha Rasheed, a nephew of Pakistan-based terrorist Masood Azhar, in an encounter near Aglar village in Pulwama in south Kashmir. A security personnel was killed in the gun battle. Following the incident, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said that the army would neutralize any terrorists entering Indian territory.
"Whether it is the nephew of Maulana Masood or anyone else, we are concerned only with finishing terror. We are not concerned what their religion is or other things," General Rawat said in New Delhi.
Since the beginning of this year, Indian security forces have eliminated a total of 170 militants, including top commanders of dreaded terror groups active in the region like the Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, according to an official estimate.
