As part of a major counter-terrorism operation in Jammu and Kashmir, three terrorists were eliminated after the security forces foiled an infiltration bid in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the Indian Army informed on Saturday (16 September).
A joint team of Army and police personnel had received intelligence input about the presence of terrorists in the vicinity. Afterwards, an encounter started in the forward region of Uri, Hathlanga in the Baramulla district.
The security forces informed that the dead bodies of two terrorists had been recovered while the dead body of the third terrorist had not been retrieved because of interference and firing by the Pakistani posts in the area.
Taking to X, security forces informed, “In a joint operation launched by the Indian Army, J&K Police, and Intelligence agencies, an infiltration bid was foiled today in the morning hours along LoC in Uri Sector, Baramulla. 3 terrorists tried to infiltrate and were engaged by alert troops. 2 terrorists were eliminated and their bodies recovered, the third terrorist was killed but the retrieval of the body was interfered with by firing by the Pak post in the vicinity, on LoC. Operation in progress.”
#UPDATE | J&K | In a joint operation launched by the Indian Army, J&K Police and Intelligence agencies, an infiltration bid was foiled today in the morning hours along LoC in Uri Sector, Baramulla. 3 terrorists tried to infiltrate and were engaged by alert troops. 2 terrorists…
— ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2023
The encounter is taking place, a day after the security forces busted a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror module in the Baramulla district following the arrest of two terrorist associates and recovery of arms and ammunition from them. As per the spokesperson of the Police, the two arrested were identified as Zaid Hassan Malla, a resident of Mir Sahib Baramulla, and Mohammad Arif Channa, from Stadium Colony Baramulla.
The spokesperson said, “They were involved in cross-border smuggling of arms and ammunition at the behest of Pakistan-based terror handlers and its further distribution to LeT terrorists for carrying out terror activities.”
Anantnag Encounter: Fourth day of Operation Garol
The counter-terror operation in the Uri sector follows the ongoing Anantnag encounter, which has now entered its fourth day in the Kokernag area of the Anantnag district. To flush out the terrorists, security forces have cordoned off the Kokernag forest area in Anantnag and have deployed drone surveillance to locate terrorists.
As part of Operation Garol, the security forces have bombed the hiding place of the terrorists and it is expected that the operation has now entered its final stage.
As a result, in some drone footage, one of the terrorists is seen running away after the security forces targeted their hideout in the jungles of Anantnag district.
According to the ADGP of Kashmir Zone, around 2-3 terrorists are trapped here. ADGP also assured that all of the terrorists would be killed.
According to the information, Lashkar commander Uzair Khan is hiding in the forest area along with another terrorist.
Briefing about the operation, officials on Saturday stated that the operation to flush out militants has entered into its fourth day as drones and helicopters were pressed into service to track and neutralise the ultras who killed three security forces officers.
They added that as the assault was resumed on Saturday morning – the fourth day of the gunfight – the security forces fired several mortar shells towards the forest.
In the past seven days, three major incidences of terror have been registered in Jammu and Kashmir. Apart from the Baramulla encounter, two other incidences include the one in Rajouri and the other one in Anantnag.
These terrorists were identified as Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives operating under the names ‘TRF’ (The Resistance Front) and ‘PAFF’ (People’s Anti-Fascist Front). While two terrorists were neutralised in Rajouri, Indian security forces suffered casualties in which four army soldiers and one Jammu and Kashmir Police official lost their lives in these two other terror incidences.
Bravehearts Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonack, and DySP Humayun Bhat were martyred in an operation deep inside the Kokrenag forest in Anantnag on Wednesday (13 September). Colonel Singh died on the spot, and Major Dhonak and DSP Bhat succumbed to their injuries during treatment. The terrorists currently hiding in the Kokernag forest area are the ones who killed our three security forces officers.
