Umaisar Gull Ganie
Kulgam, Aug 2: Two terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Akhal forest belt of Devsar area in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Saturday. The operation was temporarily halted due to low visibility and will resume with the first light on Sunday, officials said.
A senior police officer said that on a tip-off about the presence of terrorists in the forest area, a joint team of the Army, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a cordon and search operation on Friday evening. “The terrorists present in the area opened fire which was retaliated to, triggering an encounter,” he said, “ In the gunfight two terrorists have been neutralised and the operation is on.”
Sources said that both slain terrorists are reportedly locals who had joined terrorist ranks two years ago. They were categorized as ‘C’ category terrorists.
Sources said that two more terrorists are believed to be trapped in the area. “A clearer picture regarding their identity and status of the operation will emerge by Sunday,” the sources said.
A soldier sustained injuries during the exchange of fire and has been shifted to a medical facility where his condition is said to be stable.
Army’s Chinar Corps posted on X: “Intermittent and intense firefight continued through the day. Alert troops responded with calibrated fire and tightened the noose while maintaining contact. Two terrorists have been neutralised so far. Operation Akhal continues.”
Officials said that the thick forest cover and rugged terrain have posed challenges, but the area remains under tight security surveillance. Additional reinforcements have been deployed to seal all possible escape routes.
Drone surveillance, night vision equipment, and thermal imaging devices are being used to track movements in the dense foliage.
The operation has been paused for the night due to poor visibility, in line with security protocols, and will resume at dawn.
J&K Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat visited the encounter site and reviewed the ongoing counter-terror operation.
Pertinently, ‘Operation Akhal’ is the third major anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir within the past week. On Wednesday, two terrorists were killed during “Operation Shivshakti” in Poonch district near the Line of Control following an infiltration attempt. Earlier, on July 28, three Pakistani terrorists were eliminated during “Operation Mahadev” in the Lidwas forest near Harwan on the outskirts of Srinagar. Those terrorists were linked to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. (KNO)
