Bandipora Forest Operation: Massive Arms Cache Recovered as Security Forces Bust Terrorist Hideout
BANDIPORA, March 11, 2026 — In a major breakthrough for regional security, a joint task force of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Indian Army successfully busted an old militant hideout in the dense Ranar and Vewan forest areas of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
The coordinated search-and-destroy operation, conducted during the late hours of Wednesday, led to the recovery of a substantial stockpile of lethal weaponry believed to have been concealed for an extended period.
The haul included heavy-duty equipment such as an RPG launcher with five rounds, a Pika Light Machine Gun (LMG) with dedicated belt boxes, and an extensive collection of nearly 1,100 rounds of mixed 7.62 mm and AK-47 ammunition.The precision of the operation also resulted in the seizure of high-grade explosives and tactical gear, including nine plastic explosive boxes, four TNT slabs, five UBGL grenades, and specialized firing cables.
According to official statements, the hideout was strategically located within the rugged forest terrain to serve as a clandestine logistics hub. To ensure the infrastructure could not be reused, security forces destroyed the site and the recovered materials on the spot.
This successful intervention is part of an ongoing strategy to sanitize the forest belts of North Kashmir and dismantle any residual militant infrastructure, reinforcing the Indian Army’s commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the sensitive border district.