Rajouri (Jammu and Kashmir): Five Army personnel were killed and a major was injured in a blast triggered by militants during a search operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Friday. In the morning, two Army men belonging to the Special Forces were killed and four, including the Major was injured. Later in the day, three died in Command Hospital in Udhampur. The Army officials have not given any statement on casualties yet.
According to sources, the cordon and search operation was going on as massive reinforcements have been already rushed to the densely vegetated area with steep cliffs.
The encounter broke out between militants and security forces in Kandi area of Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. This is the 3rd encounter in J&K in as many days. ADGP Jammu, Mukesh Singh confirmed the development saying that the joint forces of police and security forces have cordoned the area.
The encounter is believed to have broken out after security forces cordoned the area following specific inputs about the presence of militants there. An Army spokesman said that “during the joint operation, in the Kandi Forest in the Rajouri, the terrorists triggered an explosive device in retaliation”.
Additional teams from the vicinity have been directed to the site of the encounter while the injured personnel have been evacuated to Command Hospital, Udhampur. The Army spokesman said that as per initial reports, a group of terrorists are trapped in the area. “There is a likelihood of casualties in terrorist groups. The operation is in progress. Further details are being ascertained,” he said.
A spokesman for the Army's White Knight Corps said, “In ongoing joint operations against terrorists, specific search launched in Kandi Forest, Rajouri, contact established at 0730 hours on 05 May 23. 2 Army personnel fatal & 4 others injured. A group of Terrorists is trapped & likely to be injured”. The encounter comes a day after two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed in an encounter that broke out between security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district in north Kashmir in the wee hours of Thursday.
Police identified the slain militants as Shakir Majid Najar and Hanan Ahmad Seh, residents of Shopian district of south Kashmir. Police said that both of them joined the militant ranks in March this year. As per a police spokesman, the encounter broke out after security forces launched a cordon and search operation acting on inputs about the presence of militants in the Wanigam Payeen Kreeri area of Baramulla district.
Also read: Two LeT militants killed as encounter breaks out in J-K's Baramulla
Earlier, on Wednesday, two militants were killed in another encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district in north Kashmir. A Jammu and Kashmir Police spokesman said that the encounter broke out between the militants and the security forces near the Pichnad Machil area in the Kupwara district on Wednesday morning.
A Defence spokesman said that the the militants were sighted by the troops on Wednesday morning after which an intense firefight broke out between the two sides which resulted in the elimination of two militants.
