An encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Bihali area of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday after the Army and the police launched a joint search operation in the mountainous forest area based on an intelligence tip-off.
Army's White Knight Corps said contact has been established with the terrorists, and the operation is currently in progress. They have named it 'Operation Bihali'.
Encounter a week before Amarnath Yatra
The latest encounter took place just a week ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, set to begin on July 3. With a large influx of pilgrims expected to visit the Amarnath cave shrine over the coming weeks, security has been tightened for the Yatra, which will conclude on August 9.
This encounter in the Bihali area of Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district comes nearly two months after the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam in April, which claimed 26 lives.
It also follows a month and a half after India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan's Punjab province. During that operation, Indian security forces struck nine terror hubs, eliminating over 100 terrorists.
Anti-terror ops after Pahalgam attack
Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have intensified their crackdown on terrorists and their support networks across the Union Territory following the April 22 terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam.
On that day, terrorists from Pakistan opened fire in a meadow at the popular tourist spot in south Kashmir, killing 25 visiting tourists and one local resident.
In the two months since the attack, multiple encounters have taken place across Jammu and Kashmir as security agencies work to trace those responsible and curb militant activity in the region.
In a significant development on Sunday, two local men were arrested for allegedly providing shelter to the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) also confirmed that all three attackers were Pakistani nationals.
