The cordon and search operation against militants hiding in the forests of North Kashmir's Kupwara, which was on for the last 27 days and left two terrorists and as many Armymen dead, has been called off, a senior army officer said on Wednesday.
"We cannot continue indefinitely in the form we were doing it...cordon and searches... it is a risky business because the terrorists are waiting till the last moment before opening fire. Those operations we have stopped," General Officer Commanding of Army's 15 Corps Lt General Satish Dua said. Lt Gen Dua said while the militants can open fire on "anything that moves", the soldiers have to be careful in dealing with a situation where the terrain is difficult and thickly forested. "For him (militant), he fires at anybody whereas we are scared that we might fire at our own chaps," he added.
This has brought to an end one of the longest anti-militancy operations in Kashmir that last 27 days and left two militants dead.