SRINAGAR: Three Pakistani terrorists were shot dead early Thursday at separate locations near the LoC in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district as security forces intensified counteroffensives to ensure peace during J&K’s first assembly elections in a decade from Sept 18 to Oct 1.
Another shootout between security forces and terrorists was reported late Wednesday night in a remote village in Rajouri district of Jammu division.Security forces also discovered a terrorist hideout in Poonch district, where six hand grenades were recovered.
Elections are being held amid a backdrop of rising terrorist violence in the region, which recorded 18 security force fatalities between May and Aug, with 14 in Jammu zone and four in Kashmir valley.
According to sources, the three terrorists were killed as security forces conducted their sixth seek-and-kill operation in Kupwara this year. During this period, at least 10 Pakistani terrorists were eliminated in the district, while two soldiers died in separate gunfights on July 24 and 27.
Officials said troops from 57 Rashtriya Rifles and 53 Infantry Brigade, supported by police, launched operations in Machil and Tangdhar sectors Wednesday night, acting on intelligence inputs about terrorists crossing the border. “The infiltrators were spotted and security teams engaged them with gunfire,” an official said.
Regarding the Rajouri shootout, officials said “suspected movement” was detected in the densely forested Lathi-Dardiya area, leading to a joint manhunt by Army and police. “The hiding terrorists fired at the forces, triggering retaliatory action. The shooting carried on late into the night, with soldiers using tracer fire to illuminate the area,” an official said.
(inputs from Sanjay Khajuria in Jammu)
Another shootout between security forces and terrorists was reported late Wednesday night in a remote village in Rajouri district of Jammu division.Security forces also discovered a terrorist hideout in Poonch district, where six hand grenades were recovered.
Elections are being held amid a backdrop of rising terrorist violence in the region, which recorded 18 security force fatalities between May and Aug, with 14 in Jammu zone and four in Kashmir valley.
According to sources, the three terrorists were killed as security forces conducted their sixth seek-and-kill operation in Kupwara this year. During this period, at least 10 Pakistani terrorists were eliminated in the district, while two soldiers died in separate gunfights on July 24 and 27.
Officials said troops from 57 Rashtriya Rifles and 53 Infantry Brigade, supported by police, launched operations in Machil and Tangdhar sectors Wednesday night, acting on intelligence inputs about terrorists crossing the border. “The infiltrators were spotted and security teams engaged them with gunfire,” an official said.
Regarding the Rajouri shootout, officials said “suspected movement” was detected in the densely forested Lathi-Dardiya area, leading to a joint manhunt by Army and police. “The hiding terrorists fired at the forces, triggering retaliatory action. The shooting carried on late into the night, with soldiers using tracer fire to illuminate the area,” an official said.
(inputs from Sanjay Khajuria in Jammu)