Srinagar: Security forces are engaged in two ongoing encounters in north Kashmir, in the districts of Kupwara and Bandipora, resulting in the killings of two unidentified militants so far. Both gunfights erupted Tuesday evening as operations by security forces targeted suspected militant hideouts.
In Bandipora, the gunfight began in the Ketsun forest area after security forces, acting on intelligence, launched a cordon-and-search operation to track down suspected militants. A senior police official confirmed that one militant has been killed in this encounter, while another remains trapped. "The identity of the slain and the remaining militant is yet to be confirmed," the official stated. The operation is still underway in the area.
In neighbouring Kupwara, a joint operation by the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police took place overnight after receiving specific intelligence inputs. As forces zeroed in on a suspected location, a fierce exchange of gunfight ensued between the joint security team and militants in the area. One militant has been gunned down so far in the Kupwara operation, which is still underway.
These ongoing operations bring the total number of encounters in the Kashmir Valley to four in just four days. The latest uptick in militant activities comes amid heightened security concerns since the NC-Congress coalition government, led by Omar Abdullah, took office following Jammu and Kashmir's transition to a Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370.
Earlier on November 2, three militants, including two locals and a Pakistani national known as Usman Bhai, were killed in two separate encounters in South Kashmir's Anantnag district and central Kashmir's Srinagar district. The Srinagar encounter also left four security personnel injured during the exchange of fire.
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