Anantnag encounter: Fresh firing, anti-terrorist operations underway for third day

For the third day, the entire area has been condoned off and a search operation is underway. As part of the anti-terrorist operation, drones and helicopters have been deployed to neutralise the militants.

Srinagar:Anti-terrorist operations continued for the third consecutive day on Friday in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district where a Colonel, Major and DSP were killed in a gun fight with suspected militants on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.

The entire area has been condoned off. Although there were no exchange of shots throughout the night, a fresh round of firing was reportedly heard from the site this morning. A comprehensive search operation is underway. Also, drones and helicopters have been deployed in the area to target the militants.

It is learnt that the encounter started on Wednesday after the joint teams of Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police reached the forests surrounding Gadool village in Kokernag area of Anantnag. The militants suddenly opened fire on them from their hidden locations. The security forces fired in retaliation leading to a gunfight between the terrorists and the forces.

During the exchange of fire, Col Manpreet Singh and Maj Ashish Dhonchal of 19 Rashtriya Rifles and DSP Humayun Muzamil Bhat of Jammu and Kashmir Police were killed. Their mortal remains were airlifted from the encounter site and taken to their respective native places. Their last rites were performed on Wednesday, police said.

Police said that two militants have been cornered in the area. Among the two, one is a local militant named Azir Khan, who is a resident of Nagum in Kokernag. It is being suspected that the terrorists are members of The Resistance Front (RTF), a shadow group of Lashkar-e-Taiba.