Security personnel stand guard during an encounter with terrorists, in Kulgam, Saturday, July 6, 2024.
PTI
Srinagar: In the bloodiest day of conflict this year, six militants and two army personnel were killed in overnight twin encounters in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Sunday.
The anti-insurgency operations started on Saturday when security forces launched cordon-and-search-operations in Mudergham and Chinnigam villages of Kulgam following ‘specific inputs’ about the presence of the militants in these areas.
While four militants and two soldiers were killed by late Saturday evening, bodies of two more ultras were recovered from the encounter sites on Sunday morning.
The slain soldiers have been identified as Lance Naik Pradeep Nain, a Para Commando and Havaldar Raj Kumar of the 1 Rashtriya Rifles. The identity and the group affiliation of the slain ultras wasn’t known immediately. However, sources said, they belonged to Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba terror outfits and are locals.
J&K police chief R R Swain confirmed that six terrorists have been neutralized in the twin encounters. “Undoubtedly this is a big milestone for the security forces and these successes matter in strengthening the security environment,” he told reporters in Kulgam.
“The current operation is still underway and has not reached its conclusion. We have received news of the involvement of local terrorists as well,” he added.
The security forces have recovered a significant cache of arms and ammunition from the encounter sites, including assault rifles, grenades, and communication equipment, reports said.
The twin encounters have sparked heightened security measures across Kulgam and neighboring districts. Checkpoints have been established, and additional forces have been deployed to prevent any further escalation of violence.
The encounters have come amid the ongoing annual Amarnath Yatra which began from the twin base camps of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal.
This incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by security forces in the region and the persistent threat posed by militant groups. The encounters in Kulgam have once again brought to the fore the fragile security situation in the region, raising concerns over the potential for further violence.