Srinagar, Nov 05: An unidentified terrorist was killed, and two security personnel were injured in an ongoing encounter in the Ketson forest area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora on Tuesday, according to police reports. A senior police officer informed Rising Kashmir that the operation began following a specific tip-off regarding the presence of terrorists in the area.
“One terrorist has been killed and another is trapped in the cordoned off area. 2 security personnel including Army Jawan and CRPF Jawan were also injured in the initial firing. Both have been shifted to 92 Base Hospital Srinagar, where they are being treated,” he said.
The officer said that an earlier encounter broke out this afternoon after the Army’s 26 Assam rifles and SOG of J&K police cordoned Ketson forest belt of Bandipora district on a specific tip-off about the presence of terrorists.
As the security forces approached the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired upon the forces, triggering off a gunfight in which one terrorist was killed while the search for the another is in progress.
“So far one terrorist was killed and his body has been retrieved from the encounter site. We have cordoned the area and all roads leading to the encounter site have been sealed. Firing is going on from both sides,” he said.
The officer said that if the encounter is called off following darkness, all SOPs will be followed including the installation of more lights, multiple layer cordon, etc. More forces are being deployed to trace the trapped terrorist, he added.
Meanwhile, Chinar Corps Spokesman in a post on X said that “Based on specific intelligence input regarding the presence of terrorists in general area Kaitsan forest, a Joint Operation was launched by Army, Police and CRPF in general area Chuntawadi Kaitsan, Bandipora. Contact was established and firefight ensued,” he said. Adding that operation is in progress.
On Nov 2, a top Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist commander, identified as Usman Lashkari, was killed in an encounter in Khanyar area of Srinagar. Four security personnel — two each from the J&K Police and the CRPF — were injured in the day-long encounter, police said.
In another anti-terror operation on the same day, two terrorists were killed by security forces in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. The encounter broke out near Halkan Gali in the Shangus-Larnoo area.
