3 terrorists killed, 3 policemenmartyred in gunfight in Kathua

 

 

 

THREE terrorists and an equal number of policemen were killed and seven others including a Deputy Superintendent of Police injured in a fierce day-long gunfight in a remote forested area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, officials said on Thursday. The encounter started around 8 am amid intensified operations led by Jammu and Kashmir Police against a recently infiltrated group of ultras believed to be members of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (J eM) outfit, the officials said. However, it was not immediately clear whether it was the same group that had been evading an earlier cordon in Sanyal forest of Kathua region or another batch of infiltrated terrorists. The gunfight triggered intense firing and explosions, the officials said, as dozens of local youth were seen assisting the security forces to carry heavy weapons and ammunition deep inside a gorge.

 

The encounter, centred near Jakhole village in the Ghati Juthana area of Rajbagh, involved a group of approximately five terrorists and an initial exchange of gunfire resulted in injuries to six policemen including the SubDivisional Police Officer (SDPO) leading a search party, the officials said. They said that three terrorists were killed in the onslaught led by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and assisted by the Army and CRPF. Adding to the tension, five police personnel, including the SDPO, were reportedly trapped near the gunfight’s location, adjacent to a rivulet concealed by dense foliage However, theSDPO-- a DSP rank officer -- was evacuated from the scene late on Thursdayevening,whilethree ofhispersonalsecurityofficers were found dead, official sources said, adding the fate of anothermissing policeman was not known immediately.

 

The J&K Police has neither confirmed nor denied the death of the policemen, saying a clear picture will emerge once the parties reach the scene on Friday morning. The bodies of the terrorists were also not retrieved so far as security forces halted the operation for the night, the officials said. The operation will be resumed with the first light of the day on Friday as two more terrorists are believed to be trapped in the area. They are also presumed dead but their bodiescouldnotbelocatedby the drones, the officials said. BesidestheSDPO,twomore policemen were admitted in Kathuahospitalandtheirconditionwasstatedtobe“stable”.

 

Two army personnelwerealso injured and shifted to military hospital. Special troops of Army were airdropped at the scene of the encounter in the evening to further strengthen thecordonaroundthearea,the officials said,addingbodiesof two terrorists were noticed by dronesandwouldberetrieved on Friday morning. Meanwhile, the People’s Anti-FascistFront,aproxyoutfit of JeM, claimed responsibilityforthefiringonthepolice party