How security forces recovered US-made M-24 sniper rifle near Amarnath Yatra route
New Delhi: After the intelligence agencies provided strong inputs about the possibility of an attack on Amarnath Yatra, the security forces took enhanced measures to foil any such attempt there.
"On the Amarnath Yatra route, while the road till Chandanwari and Baltal were covered by Road Opening Parties, special focus was placed on the foot tracks. The search and anti-sabotage checks on the track itself including checking the ponies were done by the Central Armed Police Force deployed there," sources said on Saturday.
The search operation in areas parallel to the track was carried out by the units of the Indian Army deployed specifically for protection duty under Op Shiva, they said.
While the northern axis of the Yatra route was covered by 3 Sector RR, the Southern Sector was covered by 1 Sector RT (both units are part Of the Rashtriya Rifles' Victor Force).
During the search, one M24 rifle and an Anti-Personnel Land mine with markings of POF( Pakistan Ordnance Factory) were recovered along the Northern route about 1.5 km south-west of the Sangam Top.
While on the southern flank, an IED was recovered 1.2 km north-east of Sheshnag.
The M24 rifle is a sniper weapon in service being used by the US Army. There is a possibility that this weapon might have been brought in from Afghanistan where it might have been looted by the Taliban.
Along with this, reports of Ibrahim Azhar, JeM chief Masood Azhar's brother, resurfacing in PoK, came alongside further intercepts that confirmed that a group of 15 trained JeM cadres had reached its camps in Markaz, Sanan Bin Salma, Tarnab Farm, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Inputs have suggested that after completing their 'Askari' training camps in Jamrud area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan, all 15 of these terrorists are being prepared for infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir.
On Friday, Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen KJS Dhillon while addressing a press conference, had said: "We had achieved major successes. An
M24 American sniper rifle with a telescope and a landmine with Pakistan Ordnance Factory markings have been recovered. The route of the Amarnath Yatra was sanitised for three days."
