Jammu: Two soldiers were killed and as many others injured during an encounter with militants in Kishtwar district on Friday, officials said.
Acting on a tip-off, security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Naidgham area in Chhatroo belt, police officials said.
There was an exchange of fire between search teams of security forces and hiding terrorists at Pingnal Dugadda forest area, upper reaches of Naidgham village under the jurisdiction of Police Station Chhatroo, they said.
The Army’s Nagrota-based White Knight Corps said in a post on X that four Army personnel had been injured in the encounter. “Based on the intelligence inputs, a joint operation with J&K Police was launched in area Chatroo at Kishtwar,” it said. It also said that contact was established with terrorists at 3.30 pm, and added: “In the ensuing firefight, four Army personnel have been injured. The operation is in progress.”
Reports quoting sources said that of the four injured, two succumbed on the way to Chatroo hospital.
Earlier, a police spokesperson said that exchange of fire took place “between search teams of security forces and hiding terrorists at Pingnal Dugadda forest area, upper reaches of Naidgham village under the jurisdiction of Police Station Chhatroo, District Kishtwar”.
According to sources, 2-3 militants are reported to be hiding in the forests, and more reinforcements have been sent to the encounter site.
The latest encounter in Kishtwar district, which is going to the polls during the first phase on September 18, has come only two days after security forces and police had killed two terrorists in Khandara Top area of Basantgarh, in J&K’s Udhampur district on Wednesday afternoon.
In view of the Assembly elections, unprecedented security measures have already been put in place in Kishtwar and its adjoining Doda and Ramban districts. While additional security forces have been deployed to secure inhabited areas and polling stations, the already stationed troops and police are constantly carrying out seek and destroy operations in search of terrorists hiding in forest areas.
Senior police and security forces officials are already in Doda to take stock of the situation and security measures in view of the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi there on Saturday to address a public meeting.
In the last two months, nearly a dozen persons, including two Army Captains and seven soldiers, have been killed in separate attacks in the upper reaches of Doda, Udhampur and Kathua districts. Three militants were also killed during an operation in the Gandoh area of Doda district

Agencies