Two more terrorists killed in Jammu encounter

Jammu: In a major counter-terrorist operation, security forces gunned down two terrorists in a 27-hour gunfight near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Akhnoor sector on Tuesday. This takes the total number of militants killed in the operation to three.

The operation began on Monday morning after the terrorists fired at an army convoy near the LoC, with one of the militants being killed by evening. The other two were holed up in a forest area near Assan temple in Jogwan village in the Battal-Khour region.

After overnight surveillance, the security forces launched the final assault around 7 AM on Tuesday, leading to a fresh gunfight that lasted over two hours. “An intense firefight unfolded today (Tuesday) morning resulting in a significant victory for our forces. Relentless operations and tactical excellence have led to the elimination of three terrorists,” the Army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps said. The operation saw the deployment of special forces and NSG commandos, as well as the use of BMP-II infantry combat vehicles for surveillance and strengthening the cordon. Helicopters and drones were also used to locate the hiding terrorists. A 4-year-old valiant Army dog named Phantom died after being hit by a bullet during the operation. The latest encounter in the Jammu region comes amid a surge in terrorist activities in Kashmir, with seven attacks occurring in the past two weeks resulting in 13 fatalities, including two soldiers.