Srinagar, Mar 28: The death toll of J&K Police personnel has risen to four following the recovery of another cop’s body near an encounter site in the Rajbagh area of Kathua district. The body was located on Friday morning with the help of drone surveillance, police said.
Speaking to the media, Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat confirmed that four brave officers of the J&K Police had been martyred. He assured that the resolve and mission of the J&K Police remain strong.
“We will not rest until we stop such activities from our neighbor. The operation is still ongoing. As we speak, officers and teams are actively working, and we hope everything will be resolved by Saturday,” DGP Prabhat stated.
DGP Prabhat elaborated on the sequence of events leading to the encounter. He mentioned that a couple had reported spotting Pakistanis in Sanyal on the evening of March 23. Immediately, a team of officers was dispatched to the location.
“They encountered the terrorists, but the attackers escaped, leaving behind four magazines, three IEDs, and two grenades. The entire area was secured by multiple forces including the BSF, Army, and CRPF, and the operation lasted for four days,” the DGP said.
“We got information about their whereabouts, and Friday, our forces had an encounter with the Pakistanis, and 2 of them were killed on the spot,” DGP Prabhat said.
Meanwhile, two terrorists suspected Pakistani nationals affiliated with the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit, were killed during the intense day-long encounter on Thursday. However, the bodies of the remaining two terrorists, initially presumed dead, could not be located.
On Friday morning, heavy firing resumed as security forces launched another offensive, moving cautiously towards the target area. Explosions continued to echo through the forests as joint security teams of the Army, CRPF, and J&K Police attempted to neutralize the remaining threat.
Several senior officers, including DGP Nalin Prabhat, have been actively overseeing the ongoing combing operations since Sunday. The operation remains a high-priority mission aimed at eliminating cross-border terrorist threats and ensuring the safety of the region.
Army’s rising star corps, whose troops are involved in the operation, lauded the police personnel involved in the operation.
“Rising Star Corps salutes the valor and indomitable spirit of the brave (J&K) Police personnel who made the supreme sacrifice fighting valiantly during the ongoing OP (operation) Safiyan in Kathua. Their courage and dedication will always be remembered,” the Army said in a post on X.
A senior police officer told Rising Kashmir that presently heavy firing is going on from both sides and there is possibility of two more terrorists hiding in the dense forests.
“The number of killed terrorists can be high. 5 terrorists were seen but final confirmation will be done on Saturday morning,” he added.
The police officer further said that they have launched a massive search operation in the area and more reinforcements have already reached the spot and drones, sniffer dogs’ squads are deputed to trace the terrorists,” he said.
The officer said that the terrain is tough because it is high up, so it will take longer to get rid of the terrorists. Searches are underway and all routes have been closed. Area has been put on high alert,” he said.
Despite a massive search operation, the terrorists managed to escape the initial cordon, the officials said, adding it is assumed that the same could have been possibly spotted near Jakhole, approximately 30 kilometers from the initial encounter site.
