Army forces have escalated their efforts to eliminate terrorists hiding in the the forested region of Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir, continuing an operation into the third day . Till now, the encounter has resulted in the deaths of two soldiers and a civilian.
According to the officials, additional force has been deployed to the Ahlan Gagarmandu forest area to flush out the terrorists, who are believed to be between three to four in number. Inspector General of Police Kashmir Zone, V K Birdi, stated that the operation is focused on the upper reaches of Gagarmandu, where an intense search is ongoing. He mentioned that further details will be provided once the operation ends. Birdi also noted that three soldiers were injured in the initial exchange of gunfire on Saturday, while two civilians sustained injuries.
“Two security personnel attained martyrdom while the third is undergoing treatment and his condition is said to be stable. Out of two civilians who were injured, one has succumbed,” Birdi said.
Expressing his concern over involvement of civilians with terrorists, Birdi stated that the presence of the two men close to the site of encounter with terrorists is a matter of investigation and it “is being investigated”.The IGP also stated that while the scene of gunbattle is close to the border of the district, it would be premature to say anything with certainty.
The army personnel Havildar Dipak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Praveen Sharma are the one who achieved martyrdom during the encounter.
Giving details related to the current operation, a Srinagar-based defence spokesperson said that on August 5, it was confirmed through human and electronic means that terrorists responsible for atrocities in the Doda region in July have sneaked across the Kishtwar range into the Kapran-Garol area in south Kashmir.
“The Rashtriya Rifles and the Jammu and Kashmir Police have relentlessly tracked these terrorists and precise operations were launched on the night of August 9 and 10 in the mountains in the east of Kapran where these terrorists were reportedly holed up,” the spokesperson said.
It is to be noted that the Ahlan Gagarmandu forest area of the Anantnag district is at an altitude of 10,000 feet. The challenging topography adds to the difficulty related to the search operation . It is believed that the terrorists involved in the recent Anantnag incident may have crossed over from Kishtwar district after escaping the confrontation in Doda region.
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