Operation continues in Anantnag to flush out terrorists

Security forces continue the operation to flush out terrorists hiding in forests of Kokernag in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag. With this the operation has entered its fifth day, and now the army is widening the area of operation and using drones and helicopters for surveillance. Also, a dead body was recovered from the terrorists’ hideout yesterday, which is yet to be identified.
The operation involves special forces and counterterrorism specialists, and three personnel have been killed so far. The encounter is still ongoing, with no official confirmation of any terrorists being killed. The operation was disrupted temporarily due to rains and a CRPF man was injured in an accidental discharge of a weapon.
The operation to flush out terrorists hiding in Garole forests of Kokernag in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag entered the fifth day on Sunday as security forces widened the area of operation to neighbouring villages, officials said.
The security forces are targeting the possible hideouts of the terrorists and firing several mortal shells towards the forest area, and are specially focusing on cave-like structures in the area.
The army and the police launched a joint operation on Tuesday night after receiving intelligence about terrorist movement and their likely hideout in the forested area.
Colonel Manpreet Singh, the commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Aashish Dhonchak, also from the same battalion, DSP Humayun Muzamil Bhat and a radio operator were killed in the encounter. Singh, Dhonchak and Khan were leading teams that were targeted by terrorists in the dense forest and were fired upon from hidden spots.
“The encounter is still going on. There is no official confirmation of killing of any terrorist so far,” a police officer from Anantnag said on the condition of anonymity on Sunday evening.
The operation, which has been underway for over 100 hours, was disrupted for a while on Sunday afternoon due to rains, officials added.
A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) man guarding the outer periphery of the cordon on the operation site was injured in an “accidental discharge” of weapon, officials added.
The injured CRPF man was identified as havaldar Manoj Kumar. “Kumar was on duty at the outer perimeter of the encounter site from where civilians are not allowed to move ahead… when his weapon discharged accidentally. It was raining and the raincoat was over his weapon. He was hit inside the raincoat,” CRPF spokesperson Junaid Ahmad said.