As the ongoing Kulgam encounter entered its 7th day on Thursday, locals from the Akhal village have urged for their relocation from the area due to hardships.
The residents have claimed that they have not slept for the past seven days, as relentless firing and blasts have constantly rocked the area.
The local population have also said that women and children are especially terrified by the ongoing encounter in the nearby vicinity.
“The massive explosions are causing quakes when they are fired towards intended targets. We have never seen such kind of firing and explosions before,” they said.
They further said, “We have not slept for seven days. Children and old-age people are awake. The conditions are further deteriorated by the shortage of rations and medical supplies.” They have praised the local-level panchayat workers for providing rations and taking care of the village.
One of the panchayat-level workers, Sheikh Mehboob, while expressing his ordeal, said, “We are facing shortages of water, medicines, and essential supplies. While some of the essential work department employees have tried to restore the water supply, it is hard for them to be there in these difficult times.”
The counterinsurgency operations have been going on in the area for the past seven days, with security forces trying to hunt down the remaining terrorists in the dense forest belt, which is posing an extreme challenge.
So far, security forces have confirmed the killing of one terrorist in the area, while others are being tracked down. Meanwhile, four security personnel also received injuring in the initial gunfire.
This is the longest anti-terror operation in the Kashmir valley so far and could become one of the longest in recent decades, as the security forces on Thursday confirmed that the encounter might continue in the coming days.
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