Srinagar: A gunfight erupted between militants and security forces in Poonch district near the Line of Control in Jammu province on Sunday, the third such encounter in as many days in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the much-awaited Assembly Elections in the erstwhile state this Wednesday (Sept. 18).
Officials said the encounter is going on in Pathanatir near the Gursi Top area of Poonch district. Militants are trapped near the gunfight site as security forces have tightened the cordon around the area to neutralise them, they said.
"Contact established with terrorists in Kalaban near Pathanatir. Point of contact is Katera in jurisdiction of PS (police station) Mendhar in district Poonch," Additional Director General of Police Jammu, Anand Jain said in a statement.
On Saturday three militants were killed in Tappar area in north Kashmir's Baramulla district. That encounter coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Union Territory's Doda district where he kickstarted BJP's election campaign. Two soldiers were killed in an attack on the Army in Kishtwar district on Friday.
The Election Commission of India and the Jammu and Kashmir administration have made strict and heavy security arrangements for the assembly elections and security of the candidates and their campaigning. Officials said that while the encounters are a concern but they will not impact the campaigning for the upcoming assembly elections.
Assembly elections will be held on September 18 in the first phase when 24 assembly constituencies in Pulwama, Shopian, Anantnag, Kulgam, Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar are slated for polling.
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