J&K: Encounters underway in Rajouri, Baramulla; 2 terrorists killed
Two terrorists have been reportedly killed in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) as two separate encounters are underway in Rajouri and Baramulla districts, launched on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. According to multiple media reports, the terrorist neutralized in Baramulla was allegedly affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). It has also been learned that an AK series rifle was recovered from him.
Details on gunbattle in J&K's Rajouri
In Rajouri, Indian Army's Northern Command personnel have been conducting "intelligence-based operations to flush out a group of terrorists involved in an ambush on an Army truck in the Tota Gali area of Bhata Dhurian." PRO Defence Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand stated, "In the ongoing operation in Kandi Forest in Rajouri...contact was established with terrorists at 0115 hours [Saturday], and firing was started."
Fight between security personnel, terrorists in Baramulla
According to the news outlet News18, the Kashmir Police revealed that two to three militants had been trapped as the gunbattle continued between terrorists and security forces in the Kunzar area of Baramulla. As per sources in the know, a joint operation of the J&K Police and the Army was launched based on specific inputs received about terror activities in the area.
5 Army personnel died in explosion in Rajouri's Kandi earlier
On Friday, five personnel lost their lives and a major of the Army suffered multiple injuries in a blast reportedly triggered by terrorists in the densely forested area of Kandi in Rajouri. This reportedly took place while an operation was being conducted by security personnel to flush out terrorists. Furthermore, the area is reportedly thickly vegetated with steep and rocky cliffs.
Additional CRPF, Army troops deployed to trap terrorists
Additional troops of the Army and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were reportedly deployed in the Kandi area so that terrorists couldn't flee the site, revealed officials. Furthermore, security forces also deployed sniffer dogs and drones as troops hit a cave hideout with a heavy fire of grenades and mortars. "The terrorists triggered an explosive device in retaliation," officials added.
Identity of slain soldiers revealed
Meanwhile, the identities of all the five slain security personnel in the Kandi operation were also revealed. They included paratrooper Siddhant Chettri from Darjeeling in West Bengal, paratrooper Pramod Negi from Sirmaur in Himachal Pradesh, lance naik Ruchin Singh Rawat from Gairsain in Uttarakhand, Havildar Neelam Singh from Jammu, and naik Arvind Kumar from Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district.
