At least five terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Thursday. Two security forces personnel sustained injuries in the operation that was launched in the early hours of Thursday, officials told the press.
A joint team of Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Indian Army launched a cordon and search operation at Kadder in the Behibagh area of Kulgam on Wednesday night based on specific inputs about the presence of suspected terrorists in the area. The search operation turned into an encounter as the terrorists opened fire on security forces, news agency PTI said quoting security officials.
"Bodies of five terrorists are lying in the orchards but have not been retrieved yet," the official was quoted as saying by the news agency.
"On 19 Dec 24, based on specific intelligence input regarding presence of terrorists, a Joint Operation launched by #IndianArmy & @JmuKmrPolice at Kader, Kulgam. Suspicious activity was observed by vigilant troops and on being challenged, terrorists opened indiscriminate and heavy volume of fire. Own troops effectively retaliated. Operation is in progress," Chinar Corps of the Indian Army said on X at 7:43 AM on Thursday.
The encounter broke out on the day Union Home Minister Amit Shah was likely to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the first such meeting after the last assembly elections held in September-October, sources said. As per news reports, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, top officers of the Army, paramilitary forces, JK administration, intelligence agencies and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) were expected to attend the meeting.
Security situation in Jammu and Kashmir
The meeting is expected to take note of recent terror incidents and possible steps to be taken on how to stop such attacks in the coming days, the sources said.
According to official data, 142 terrorists were killed in JK in 2019 and the number is around 45 so far this year. Fifty civilians were killed in 2019 in the UT while the figure came down to 14 by the first week of November this year.