^{Indian army troops in the Rajouri region of Jammu. Credits: India Today}

Army Launches Operation Sarvashakti to Eliminate Terrorists in J&K

The Army is initiating Operation Sarvashakti, collaborating with security forces on both sides of the Pir Panjal range in Jammu and Kashmir. The objective is to eliminate terrorists responsible for a series of ambushes on Indian troops in areas of Rajouri and Poonch.

Drawing inspiration from Operation Sarpvinash in 2003, which targeted terrorists south of the Pir Panjal range and lasted for about three months, Sarvashakti aims to root out terrorists hiding in the dense jungles, mountains, and caves of the region. During Operation Sarpvinash, around 100 terrorists were killed, and a significant amount of stores and equipment, including medical supplies, were recovered.

The focus of Sarvashakti is to locate the hideouts of individuals suspected to be behind the recent ambushes on security forces in the Rajouri-Poonch area in 2023. The operation is crucial in addressing the escalating violence, with seven soldiers killed in Kashmir and 20 in ambushes in the Rajouri-Poonch belt in recent years.