Gunfight in Kishtwar enters 2nd day; ‘two most wanted terrorists trapped’

Srinagar, Aug 11: Intermittent gunfire and the noise of powerful explosions were heard in the dense Bhagna forest in Kishtwar district on Monday as security forces pressed on with an operation to neutralise two most wanted Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists.Officials said the terrorists identified as Riyaz Ahmad and Mudassar Hazari, each carrying a Rs 10 lakh bounty, are believed to be holed up in a deep cave on a cliff in the Dool area, about 25 km from Kishtwar town. Both have been active in the region for the past eight years.The encounter began early Sunday after intelligence inputs pinpointed their presence, an official said, adding, “Around 6:30 am, the terrorists opened fire on search teams, triggering a retaliatory exchange. They then fled deeper into the forest, sparking two more firefights later in the day.”“By nightfall, reinforcements, including Army para commandos, police, and CRPF personnel, had tightened the cordon. Drones were deployed to track movement and block escape routes. The last reported exchange occurred near the suspected hideout cave on Monday afternoon,” he added.The official said the search operation remains in full swing, with security forces determined to flush out the trapped terrorists. Further details are awaited.PRO Defence Jammu Division, Lt Col Suneel Bartwal, told Rising Kashmir that a massive search operation is underway in the dense forests, and technical equipment has been deployed to trace terrorists and monitor the search operation.“Although there is no contact with hiding terrorists, area domination exercises are underway in the Kishtwar forests. Area is being closely monitored,” he said.Lt. Col Bartwal said the entire forest range is under a tight security cordon to neutralise the hiding terrorists. The area is mountainous and the forest is dense, making the operation both difficult and dangerous,” he said.