Two soldiers lost their lives during an intense gunbattle with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district today. The encounter also left another soldier and two civilians injured.
Encounter in Ahlan Gadole, Anantnag
The encounter began this afternoon in the Ahlan Gadole area of Anantnag district, as security forces were conducting an anti-terror operation in the forested region of the Kokernag subdivision. During the operation, the army patrol was targeted by terrorists.
During a cordon and search operation by security forces, terrorists hiding in the forest opened fire indiscriminately at the approaching search teams, according to officials. In the resulting gunfight, five army personnel were injured and promptly evacuated to a nearby hospital, where two of them later succumbed to their injuries.
Special Forces Involved in Operation
The army’s special forces, including paratroopers, are involved in the ongoing operation aimed at flushing out the terrorists, who are believed to be foreign nationals. This marks the second significant encounter in the Kokernag region within the last year. In September 2023, a gunbattle in the Kokernag forest resulted in the deaths of several security personnel, including a Commanding Officer, a Major, and a Deputy Superintendent of Police.