Srinagar. Security forces intensified the operation to eliminate terrorists hiding in the forest area of Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on the second day of the encounter on Sunday. Two soldiers were martyred in this encounter while a civilian lost his life. Officials gave this information. Officials said that additional security personnel have been sent to Ahlan Gagarmandu forest area to eliminate the terrorists and it is believed that three to four terrorists are hiding here.
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, VK Birdi told reporters near the encounter site in Kokernag, “The operation is going on in the upper areas of Gagarmandu. An intensive search operation is being carried out… more information will be shared after the operation is over.” He said three soldiers and two civilians were injured in the initial encounter on Saturday.
Birdi said, “Two security personnel were martyred, while the third is being treated and his condition is said to be stable. One of the two injured civilians died.” When asked about the involvement of the two injured civilians in terrorist activities, Birdi said that the presence of both the persons near the encounter site with the terrorists is a matter of investigation and it is being investigated. When asked whether this group of terrorists involved in the encounter came from Doda, the police officer said that although the encounter site is close to the district border, it would be too early to say anything clearly.
Earlier in the day, officials had said that one of the two civilians injured in the fierce encounter between terrorists died during treatment on Sunday morning, after which the number of civilians killed in the encounter increased to three. They said that on Saturday, an operation was launched to kill the terrorists in the Ahlan Gagarmandu forest area of Anantnag district, located at an altitude of 10,000 feet. According to officials, the operation to search for terrorists continued despite challenging geographical conditions.
On Saturday, a cordon and search operation was launched after receiving information about the presence of terrorists in the remote Ahlan Gagarmandu forest of Kokernag area. According to officials, the encounter started when a group of terrorists opened fire on the joint search team. The team comprised army personnel including para commandos and local policemen.
Officials said that six army personnel and two civilians were injured in the encounter. The injured soldiers were immediately taken to the nearby hospital, where two soldiers were declared dead. The martyred army personnel have been identified as Havaldar Deepak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Praveen Sharma.
This encounter brought back sad memories of the encounter that took place in Kokernag in September last year after a similar firing, when four security personnel, including Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish and Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat, were martyred. During this, two terrorists, including a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, were also killed. Security forces have intensified the search operation in the forests of Kokernag after an encounter in Doda district on July 15. Four soldiers, including a captain, were martyred in this encounter. It is believed that the terrorists involved in the recent Anantnag incident may have crossed the border from Kishtwar district to escape the encounter in Doda.
Giving details of the ongoing operation, a defence spokesperson in Srinagar said on August 5, it was confirmed through human and electronic means that terrorists responsible for atrocities in Doda region in July had crossed the Kishtwar range and entered into Kapran-Garol area of south Kashmir.
He said, “The National Rifles and Jammu and Kashmir Police constantly monitored these terrorists and a precise operation was carried out on the intervening night of August 9 and 10 in the mountains east of Kapran, where these terrorists were allegedly hiding.” The spokesperson said, “Suspicious activities were observed at around 2 pm on August 10. On being challenged by the security forces, the terrorists immediately started indiscriminate, desperate and reckless firing, in which two army personnel and two civilians present nearby were injured.” He said that the terrorist background of the injured civilians is being ascertained.
The spokesperson said, “This area is at an altitude of more than 10,000 feet, there are dense forests, large rocks, rivulets and complex paths, which pose a serious challenge for the operation. The security forces are moving ahead thoughtfully and trying to catch the terrorists.” According to the spokesperson, the situation remains tense and the security forces are engaged in searching for terrorists in the area.