Elite paratroopers of the Army have reportedly been airdropped at the Gangabal forest area in Ganderbal district of Kashmir where the Army has been engaged in a massive operation against recently infiltrated militants for the past few days.
They had to be airdropped as there is no road access to the mountainous region, say media reports.
The Army has been on its toes ever since there were intelligence inputs that a group of insurgents managed to infiltrate into the Valley through Gurez region on September 27, and the gunfight began the same day. According to media reports, two militants have already been killed in the ongoing operations; one of the on September 27 itself. Two days later, a second militant was killed.
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The Army maintained that it hasn't suffered any casualties, even as the officials described the operation as “intense,” reports The Print.
The identities of slain militants are yet to be revealed.
The paratroopers were reportedly dropped at strategic locations in the forest and near the Army camp. According to The Print, locals said choppers made nearly 25 trips for dropping the soldiers.
Security forces believe that there is an increased attempt to infiltrate into the Valley after the abrogation of Article 370.
There is also the concern that the treacherous Gangabal route is being used to enter the state even though Ganderbal district is considered to be militant-free zone.