Srinagar:An encounter broke out between militants and security forces in Srinagar on Sunday morning, the second gunfight this month in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
Police said that the encounter broke out in the Zabarwan forests near the Ishbar area of Srinagar. "A joint Police and security forces operation was launched in Zabarwan forest area of #Srinagar based on specific intelligence about the presence of #terrorists. An exchange of fire ensued during the operation. Further details will follow," Kashmir Zone Police said on its official X handle.
Two to three terrorists are believed to be trapped, officials said. The gunbattle broke out around 9 am in the forest area connecting Dachigam and upper reaches of Nishat area here, they said
The security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in the area following information about presence of terrorists there. A senior official said there have been positive sighting of two to three terrorists in the area.
"However, due to the difficult terrain, the exact location is not noted. Some shots were fired on our troops as well. The cordon has been intensified and we are hopeful that militants will be tracked and neutralised," DIG, Central Kashmir, Rajiv Pandey said.
Last week, one Pakistani militant identified as Usman was killed in a gunfight in Srinagar's Khanyar area when security forces had inputs about militants hiding in a residential house.
The first ten days of this month have witnessed simultaneous encounters including two gunfights on Tuesday evening in Bandipora and Kupwara districts of north Kashmir followed by an encounter in Sopore on Thursday.
Top cop explains spike in militant activities
Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a spike in militant attacks and gunfights in the recent past with such incidents taking place in both Kashmir and Jammu regions including in areas which were considered to be relatively free of militancy in the past.
A senior police officer in a recent conversationwith ETV Bharat attributed the spike to attempts by the "neighbouring country to disturb the peace and tranquillity in India"
DGP, Jammu Kathua Samba Range, Shiv Kumar Sharma, told ETV Bharat that militants were using new tactics to spread terrorism to disturb peace. He exuded confidence that the Indian Army, J&K Police and CRPF were well-trained to neutralize militants.
Bolstered by locals' assistance, the three armed forces, the DGP said, have demonstrated synergy during the anti-militancy operations. Promising secrecy and rewards for accurate information, Sharma appealed to locals for their support in fighting militants by providing information about suspicious activities. (With agency inputs)
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