Anantnag, Aug 10 (KS):- After around 11 months, an encounter again broke out between terrorists and security forces in the forest area of Kokernag in South Anantnag on Sunday in which two soldiers were killed while five including two civilians were injured.
An official told news agency Kashmir Scroll that a joint team of police, Army, and CRPF after receiving information about the presence of terrorists launched a search operation forest area of GagarMandu Rayl Mandu Ahlan Kokernag.
He said that army was already on high alert and conducting searches in the area after they had received inputs about that a group of terrorists have moved to Kokernag forests from Doda.
He said that as the joint forces intensified searches towards the suspected spot, hiding militants fired upon the party, which was retaliated, triggering an encounter.
He said that during the initial exchange of fire at least five soldiers and two civilians were injured who all were evacuated and hospitalized.
He said that the evacuation process of the injured took as the nearest motorable area Ahlan is around 19 km from the encounter spot.
The official added that among the injured five soldiers two succumbed to injuries while the rest were being treated at the hospital.
He acknowledged that it is a challenging encounter given the tough terrain of the area with no road connectivity and mobile network.
All modern technologies have been put in use to track the terrorists in the area, he said , adding that as of now search operations is going on and efforts are on to track down the hiding terrorists.
The Army in a post on X said that based on a specific input, a joint operation was launched in Kokernag area.
“Contact was established and firefight ensued during which two personnel have been injured and evacuated from the area.” Army said.
“Based on specific intelligence input, a Joint Operation was launched by #IndianArmy, @JmuKmrPolice & @crpf_srinagar today in general area Kokernag, Anantnag. Contact was established and firefight ensued. Two personnel have been injured and evacuated from the area. Operations are in progress,” Army said.
“Two civilians have also been reported injured due to indiscriminate, desperate and reckless firing by terrorists in the ongoing operation; they have been provided immediate medical aid and evacuated further.” Army said.
“Terror antecedents of civilians being established.” Army added.
Notably, in September last year two Army officers, one J&K Police DSP and two terrorists were killed in same area.
The Army Saturday said that the terrorists who were involved in a series of attacks in Doda and Kishtwar districts of Jammu managed to enter into South Kashmir on July 24 and thick undergrowth streams and re-entrants pose a serious challenge to operations.
Defence spokesman in Srinagar, said that it had been earlier confirmed through Human and Electronic means on 05 August 2024 terrorists responsible for atrocities and incidents in the Doda region in the month of July 24, had sneaked across the Kishtwar range into the Kapran Garol area in South Kashmir.
“Rashtriya Rifles and J&K Police have ever since relentlessly tracked these terrorists and precise operations were launched on the night of 09 & 10 Aug 2024 in the area East of Kapran, in the mountains, where these terrorists were reportedly holed up,” the spokesman said.
He said that suspicious movement was observed at on 10 August, on challenging, was immediately responded to by indiscriminate, desperate and reckless firing from terrorists in which two Army personnel and two civilians, in the vicinity were injured. “The terror antecedents of the injured civilians are being ascertained.
The area is above 10000 feet in high altitude, has thick under growth, large boulders, Nallahs and re-entrants that poses a serious challenge to operations. Security forces are moving deliberately and are in the process of hunting down the terrorists.
Operations will progress through the night,” the defence spokesman said.
