August 10, 2024 8:52 PM.
Anantnag Encounter. Two Army personnel were killed, and six others, including two civilians, were injured in a fierce gunfight with terrorists in the Ahlan Gagarmandu forest area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district. The incident occurred at an altitude of 10,000 feet on Saturday, as security forces continued operations despite the challenging terrain.
According to officials, the encounter began when a group of terrorists opened fire on the joint search parties comprising Army troopers, including para commandos, and local police, news agency PTI reported. The search operation had been initiated based on intelligence reports indicating the presence of terrorists in the remote forest area within the Kokernag belt.
In the ensuing gun battle, six Army personnel and two civilians sustained injuries. The injured soldiers were promptly evacuated to a nearby hospital, where two of them succumbed to their injuries. The remaining injured personnel and civilians are currently receiving medical attention.
Reinforcements have been deployed in the area, and the search for the fleeing terrorists is ongoing. The topography, characterised by thick undergrowth, large boulders, and rugged terrain, poses significant challenges to the operation. A Srinagar-based defence spokesperson stated that security forces are proceeding with caution and the hunt for the terrorists is ongoing, with operations expected to continue through the night.
This encounter is reminiscent of a similar operation in the Kokernag region last September, which resulted in the deaths of four security personnel, including Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish, and Deputy SP Humayun Bhat. During that week-long engagement, two terrorists, including a senior commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), were neutralised.
