SRINAGAR: During wee hours, when people in a vast belt of Shopian moved out, they found they are in a siege. The army, CRPF and the police have taken more than a half a dozen villages in a tight cordon preventing anybody from moving out, reports reaching from Shopian said.
The besieged villages are located in the entire stretch that falls between within two major Shopian-Islamabad routes, one from Kulgam and another from Kadder, which run parallel to each other. Vilages include Chakoora, Mantribug, Zaipora, Pratabpora, Takipora, Ranipora, Ratnipora, Dangam and Wangam.
Reports said the mixed contingents are from 62 RR and CRPF 14 Bn besides the police personnel from various police stations.
The main roads are functional but the stretch is completely sealed, residents who have seen the cordon said. “We do not know the happenings inside,” one resident from Shopian said. “There was lot of activity around Nagisheran garrison.” This particular camp was revived quite a few months back after being abandoned many years earlier.
Media reports quoted officials saying that the CASO was initiated after specific reports about militant presence were received. They said that the house to house searches would be conducted.
Interestingly, the counter-insurgency grid had stopped CASO for fighting militants. In case of militant presence, they would go directly to the hideout and engage holed up militants in gun battles.
This, interestingly, is not the first crackdown of the day. Earlier, there was a flash CASO in Keller Maspora belt that is over by now. On Thursday, a major CASO was reported from Dredi Kali Pora during which the counter insurgent grid was accused of damaging at least half a dozen automobiles including a truck besides some shops.
(Picture used with this copy lacks any direct relevance to the event.)
