At least six terrorists were killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Friday. The slain terrorists were reportedly operatives of the outlawed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Their bodies are being retrieved and the area is being sanitized.
“Kulgam Update – Day 2: Five terrorists neutralized by Kulgam Police, Army, and CRPF. Incriminating materials were recovered. Operation in the final stage; area being sanitized,” Kashmir Zone police said in a post on X (formally Twitter).
Security forces had launched a cordon-and-search operation in Nehama village of Kulgam following information about the presence of terrorists in the area on Thursday. The search operation turned into a gunbattle as the terrorists opened fire towards the security personnel.
Elaborating on the action against terrorists, Vidhi Kumar Birdi, IGP Kashmir said, “Security Forces got an intelligence input regarding the movement of some terrorists in Kulgam. During the search operation, a terrorist fired from a house after which an encounter broke out. So far, five terrorists, possibly of LeT have been killed and some bodies have been sighted.”
While the security forces maintained a tight cordon around the area where the ultras were trapped, the operation was suspended overnight, officials said.
Gunshots were exchanged early Friday after a night-long lull at Samno in the Nehama area of Kulgam, they added.
The house where the terrorists were hiding caught fire in the exchange of fire this morning, forcing the militants to come out.
The sixth terrorist was killed in a joint operation launched by J&K police, Army, and CRPF in Rajouri’s Behrote area.
While the security personnel were moving towards the target house, the terrorists started firing on the operation parties from inside.
The exchange of fire continued for some time and during the ensuing operation, one terrorist was killed. Arms and ammunition have also been recovered from the site.
The identity of the killed terrorist is being ascertained.
This comes days after two unidentified terrorists were killed on November 15 as security forces foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
Before that, five terrorists were neutralised along the LoC in the Macchil sector of Kupwara district on October 26 and two were killed in a failed infiltration bid in the Uri sector of Baramulla district on October 22. A total of 11 infiltrators were shot dead in June, including four in the Macchil sector and five in the nearby Jumagund area of the Keran sector.