Anantnag gunfight: The encounter in Anantnag district has entered its fourth day as the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police continue their operation against terrorists. The terrorists are currently trapped in a cave at the top of a hill in the Kokernag area and the security forces have surrounded the terrorists. The drone footage showed that the terrorists were hiding in a natural cave in the mountains of Gadole forests in the Kokarnag area of Anantnag.
The Army and the police launched a joint search operation to hunt down the terrorists late at night on Tuesday (September 12) in the Gadul forest of Kokernag. The fierce gunfight broke out in the early hours of Wednesday (September 13).
As per a top Army source, the cave is approximately 12 feet and is surrounded by another big boulder. It's a well-planned cave which was used earlier also. The open space of the cave is approximately 2 feet. Terrorists have arms and ammunition with rations and food items. It's covered by plastic and cement with trees and branches.
Northern Army Commander reviews operational situation
Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi today reviewed the operational situation on the ongoing operations at the Kokernag forest area in Anantnag. According to the Army officials, he was briefed by the ground commanders on the High-Intensity Operations in which Hi-tech Equipment is being used for surveillance and delivery of firepower along with the high impact of precision fire being used by the forces.
Indian Army deploys rocket launchers
In an effort to conclude the four-day-long operation, security forces are now using rocket launchers to target the terrorists. The terrorists hiding on the hill are also being targeted with drone strikes. Security forces are also using IEDs to target suspected areas in the forest. It's worth noting that a video showing the rocket launcher attack has also emerged.
Jammu and Kashmir Police's ADGP provided information about this matter, and said, "Based on specific input, this operation is underway. 2-3 terrorists are trapped and will be caught soon."
4 security personnel killed
Notably, the terrorists opened fire on security personnel who had gone for a search operation. In a tragic incident, an Army colonel, a major and a senior police official lost their lives during a fierce gunfight with terrorists in the Kokernag area. The officers Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonak and Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat have been killed by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists. On Friday, the body of another missing soldier was also recovered. He had been reported missing since Thursday.
Operation will end soon
According to the information, this operation will end soon, because the terrorists have now run out of ammunition and the terrorists are still escaping from the security forces only because they are hiding at a high place. It's worth noting that the area where the encounter is taking place has been completely surrounded, and all movement in the vicinity has been restricted.
The last rites of the three martyred soldiers were conducted with full state honours. Yesterday, the mortal remains of the Major and Colonel were sent to their respective hometowns, where their final rites were performed. Similarly, Humayun Bhatt's last rites took place in the Budgam district on Thursday.
