The ongoing counter-insurgency operation in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district entered its 10th day on Sunday with the security forces have tightened the cordon around the terrorists, hiding in the dense forests.
An official said that “The operation is still in progress. The security forces are now trying to close in on the positions of the hiding terrorists.” This is the first time in years that an encounter has stretched to this many days between the security forces and militants.
The official said that these militants seem to be highly trained in jungle warfare, since the operation to track them has not yielded success after the initial firefight on August 1. He said that these militants are taking advantage of the dense forests to avoid detection by drones, helicopters and sniffer dogs.
So far, two soldiers have been killed in action (KIA) in the gunfight, while nine others have sustained injuries since the beginning of the encounter on August 1. This is the longest anti-terror operation in the Kashmir Valley in recent years, the official added.
Also Read: Kishtwar encounter: Security forces exchange fire with terrorists
Meanwhile, the contested reports suggested that at least one militant has been killed, while some reports suggested that the toll now stands at two.
Senior police and Army officers, including the Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Nalin Prabhat and the Army’s Northern Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, are closely monitoring the operation round-the-clock, officials said.
The security forces have pressed drones and helicopters into service to track the terrorists down in the forest area. Para commandos were also assisting the security forces in neutralising the hiding ultras.
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