Kashmir Encounter: Three Terrorists Killed in Gunfight With Security Forces in Baramulla

Three terrorists were killed in an encounter with the Indian Army and police in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Saturday. Bodies of the two terrorists have been retrieved and the third body’s retrieval is being interfered by firing from the Pakistan post in the vicinity on Line of Control (LoC).

The encounter started in the forward area of Uri, Hathlanga in Baramulla district.

Three terrorists tried to infiltrate through the Hathlanga Nala along the Line of Control in Uri in the early hours of Saturday. The third terrorist — who was injured — was trying to exfiltrate and being aided by the Pakistan Army post.

The gunfight started after a joint team of police and security forces received intel about the presence of terrorists in the area. After the area was cordoned off by the security forces, terrorists hiding there started firing, drawing retaliation by the security forces.

Brigadier PMS Dhillon, Commander of the Pir Panjal Brigade said that the security personnel foiled an infiltration bid. Search operations are underway.

“Based on specific inputs, in a joint operation launched by the Indian Army and J&K Police, an infiltration bid was foiled today. 3 terrorists tried to infiltrate and were engaged by alert troops. 2 terrorists were eliminated and their bodies recovered, the third terrorist was killed but the retrieval of the body was interfered by firing by the Pak post in the vicinity, on LoC," he said.

Anantnag Encounter

This comes three days after an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag which led to the death of three security personnel.

Northern Command Lt General Upendra Dwivedi reviewed the operational situation on the ongoing operations at Kokernag forest area in Anantnag on Saturday. He was briefed by the ground commanders on the High Intensity Operations in which Hi-tech equipment is being used for surveillance and delivery of firepower along with the high impact of precision fire being used by the forces.

The operation to flush out militants has entered into its fourth day as drones and helicopters were pressed into service to track and neutralise the ultras who killed three security forces officers, officials said on Saturday. As the assault was resumed on Saturday morning – the fourth day of the gunfight – the security forces fired several mortar shells towards the forest, they said.

Around two-three terrorists were still trapped as the gunfight between security forces and terrorists continued even 72 hours later in Anantnag, the ADGP Kashmir said on Friday. The army and the police launched a joint search operation to hunt down the terrorists late Tuesday night.

At least two more Army officers have been injured in the encounter which has been underway in Kokernag in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district since early hours on Wednesday. Two army officers and a Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir died in a fierce gunfight between security forces and terrorists on Wednesday.

Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Aashish Dhonchak, deputy superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat were critically injured in the encounter and died later on Wednesday.

Paying tribute to the personnel killed in the operation, Kashmir Police said forces have “encircled" two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including one identified as Uzair Khan.

ALSO READ | 3 Security Personnel, Including Army Colonel, Killed in Gunfight with Terrorists in J&K’s Anantnag

The forces on Wednesday were on a hunt for the terrorists when they received intel of their presence in a hideout.

A Joint Operation was launched by the Indian Army & J&K Police — based on specific intelligence on presence of terrorists — on the intervening night of September 12 and 13 in the Garol area of Anantnag but was called off during the night. On the morning of September 13, the hunt for the terrorists resumed after information started trickling that they were spotted at a hideout, the officials said. During the hunt contact between the two sides was established and the encounter ensued, the army said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has dropped a terrorist in Punjab using a drone, an intelligence source told CNN-News18 exclusively. CNN-News18 exclusively accessed a video showing the terror group testing the capability of dropping terrorists into the Indian territory via drones that can carry payloads of up to 70 kg.

The exclusive video, shot inside an LeT drone training camp in Pakistan’s Shakargarh, shows terrorists testing the capability of the drones to carry a human and dropping him in water. “A few months ago, a terrorist was sent to Punjab using a drone,” said the source.

“He disclosed that he was sent by the LeT top brass and was given money. He was told to go by drone and settle in Punjab where he was to be given a task,” the source added.

According to sources, the terrorist was told to collect weapons and other ammunition from his sources in Punjab.