Srinagar, Sept 11: Two unidentified terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces on Wednesday at Khandara Top in Basantgarh, near the border of Udhampur and Kathua districts.
Lt Col Suneel Bartwal, PRO Defence Jammu said that two terrorists were neutralized during an ongoing operation in Khandara, Kathua, by troops of the Rising Star Corps. The operation is still underway, he said.
Lt Col Bartwal said the encounter began with a brief exchange of fire after contact was established with the terrorists at Khandara Top earlier in the day. Following reports of terrorist presence in the area, paramilitary forces and local police swiftly moved to cordon off the region.
This incident comes just a week ahead of the first phase of polling in Jammu and Kashmir, scheduled for September 18.
A senior Army official said that both Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel launched a coordinated search operation from two directions—Basantgarh in Udhampur and Machedi in Kathua—after receiving intelligence about four terrorists in the area.
“At approximately 12:50 pm, security forces came under fire, prompting a retaliatory response that resulted in the elimination of two terrorists,” he said.
This is the first successful operation in the Basantgarh-Machedi region, where six security personnel have been killed in various attacks since July 8.
In the past two months, nearly a dozen people, including two Army Captains and seven soldiers, have lost their lives in separate terrorist attacks across the upper reaches of Doda, Udhampur, and Kathua districts. Additionally, three terrorists were killed during an operation in the Gandoh area of Doda district.
The Chenab Valley region, comprising Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban districts, is set to participate in the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections on September 18. Meanwhile, Udhampur, Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts will go to the polls in the third phase, scheduled for October 1
