Srinagar: The security forces eliminated two terrorists entrenched in a forest near a village in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. This action brought the total number of militants killed in the 27-hour gunfight near the Line of Control (LoC) to three, according to officials.
One terrorist, part of a trio that attacked an army ambulance moving near the LoC on Monday morning, was neutralized by evening. The operation involved special forces, NSG commandos, and BMP-II infantry combat vehicles.
The remaining two terrorists were neutralized within two hours on Tuesday, following a final assault by joint army and police teams near the Assan temple in Jogwan village, Battal-Khour area, officials reported.
Following overnight surveillance, an intense firefight occurred this morning, culminating in a substantial triumph for our forces. The relentless operations and tactical superiority resulted in the neutralization of three terrorists.
“The operation also saw the successful recovery of war-like stores, marking a critical step in maintaining security in the region,” Army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps said in a post on X.
The officials said the slain terrorists are believed to have infiltrated from across the border on Sunday night before appearing outside a temple and targeting the army convoy.
“After a night-long lull, the security forces pushed for a final assault against the holed-up terrorists at around 7 am, leading to a fresh gunfight,” an official said.
A couple of deafening explosions followed by intense firing continued for over an hour before the second terrorist was killed, the officials said, adding intermittent exchange of fire continued for another hour before the third trapped ultra was eliminated.
A four-year-old valiant Army dog, Phantom, died in the operation after being hit by a bullet.
In a first, the Army deployed its four BMP-II infantry combat vehicles for surveillance and strengthening the cordon around the attack site, while helicopters and drones were also deployed to locate the hiding terrorists.
The latest encounter in the Jammu region comes amid a surge in terrorist activities in Kashmir where seven attacks have occurred in the past two weeks, resulting in 13 fatalities, including two soldiers.
