The Indian troops have “neutralized” two terrorists who were behind recent deadly attacks on civilians in the Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, the Army said in a statement on Sunday.
The operation in the Balakot sector near the Line of Control, the de facto India-Pakistan border, is still in progress, the Indian Army statement added.
The Indian security operations take place after militants last week gunned down four locals in Rajouri district’s Dhangri village. The next day, an improvised explosive device (IED) attack at the victims’ house left two more people dead.
Another person later succumbed to his injuries from the IED attack, local media reports said. Overall, seven people, all belonging to the Hindu community, were killed by the militants.
Hindus constitute a minority in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In the Jammu region, however, where the Rajouri district is located, they are the majority.
Banned terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), which New Delhi believes is backed by Islamabad, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the recent killings.
The incidents have also prompted a sharp response from the Indian government, which has deployed 18 additional companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), a paramilitary agency, in the region in order to give a fillip to counter-terrorism operations. A company usually comprises 120 troopers.
Meanwhile, Manoj Sinha, the lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir, has said that village self-defense committees in Rajouri district will be given self-loading rifles in order to help the locals fight off the militants.
Sinha has also announced financial compensation and a government job for the family members of those killed in the recent terrorist attacks.