Security sweep in Jammu‑Kashmir’s Shopian uncovers arms cache

Security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir announced on 31 August that a joint sweep in Shopian district’s Naikpora Memandar sector led to the discovery of a hidden weapons cache. The combined effort of the state police, the Army’s 44 Rashtriya Rifles and the Central Reserve Police Force was triggered by a tip‑off that pointed to a potential terrorist hideout.

During the operation, forces entered a garden‑like enclosure and located a stockpile that included an AK‑47, two magazines, 60 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, a pistol, a grenade and six rounds of 9 mm ammunition. The haul has been seized, and a detailed inquiry is underway to trace the logistical chain behind the arms.

The Shopian raid mirrors recent aggressive counter‑terrorism actions in the southern regions of Kulgam, Anantnag and Shopian, where high‑resolution surveillance gear and elite units have been deployed. Notable incidents include the elimination of Lashkar‑e‑Taiba fighters in the wild terrain of Akhal‑Devsar and Guddar, and heavy exchanges of fire in the Achabal and Kokernag forest belts of Anantnag.

Lt Gen Prateek Sharma, Northern Army Commander, recently toured the area, inspecting the operational readiness of troops, reviewing intelligence collection mechanisms and evaluating the integration of cutting‑edge technology for real‑time monitoring.

Simultaneously, extensive cordon‑and‑search drives are in progress across the hill districts of Doda, Kishtwar, Kathua, Rajouri, Poonch, Ramban, Udham Singh Nagar and Reasi, following fresh intelligence about militant presence in those high‑altitude zones.