Screengrab of the video showing the door of the almirah where the four Hizbul terrorists were hiding before they were killed by Indian forces in an encounter.
Credit: X/@itsyourshamik
Two days after forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam thwarted a terrorist attack, officials have said that four of the six terrorists belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen had hidden themselves in an cupboard-turned-bunker in a house at Chinnigam Frisal, Kulgam.
"In the first encounter in Madergam, a soldier was killed in action. In the second encounter in Chinigam in Kulgam, four terrorists were shot dead. A soldier was also killed in action," NDTV quoted Inspector General of Police V K Birdi as saying.
The official said, "They (terrorists) had created a bunker inside an almirah", and added that a probe is under way to trace if locals in the area were involved in providing shelter to the now dead terrorists.
The encounters with six terrorists in two separate faceoffs on Saturday left two Indian soldiers dead. The martyrs have been identified as Lance Naik Pradeep Nain, a Para Commando and Havaldar Raj Kumar of the 1 Rashtriya Rifles.
All six terrorists were shot dead in the operations.
The four terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen who were shot dead in Chinnigam have been identified as Yawar Bashir Dar, Zahid Ahmad Dar, Tawheed Ahmad Rather and Shakeel ah Wani.
The other two, killed in Madergam, have been identified as Faisal and Adil.
Referring to security arrangements for te ongoing Amarnath Yatra that sees lakhs of pilgrims head to the shrine, an official said, "The encounter sites were in the interiors of Kulgam and were away from the national highway. The police and other agencies are keeping a close watch. This success is a result of that."
The twin encounters have sparked a strong security response across Kulgam and neighboring districts. Checkpoints have been established, and additional forces have been deployed to prevent any further violence.