Jammu, Oct 29: Security forces eliminated two more terrorists in a forested area near a village in the Akhnoor sector, Jammu and Kashmir, concluding a 27-hour encounter that began after an attack on an army convoy near the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday. This brings the total number of militants killed in the operation to three, officials confirmed.
The encounter commenced when three terrorists opened fire on an army convoy ambulance near the LoC. Special forces, NSG commandos, and BMP-II infantry combat vehicles were deployed, leading to the elimination of one terrorist by Monday evening. The remaining two were neutralized Tuesday morning in a final assault near the Assan temple in Jogwan village, Battal-Khour area, after a tense night of tracking and cordoning by joint army and police teams.
Following a brief lull, security forces launched the final push at around 7 a.m., triggering an intense gunfight marked by explosions and sustained firing. Within two hours, both remaining terrorists were eliminated. Retrieval of the bodies is underway; officials believe the militants infiltrated from across the border on Sunday night before appearing near the temple and attacking the army convoy.
Tragically, Phantom, a four-year-old army dog, lost his life after being hit by a bullet during the operation. The army also deployed BMP-II combat vehicles and used helicopters and drones for surveillance and locating the terrorists.
This encounter follows a recent uptick in militant activities in Kashmir, with seven attacks in the past two weeks leading to 13 casualties, including two soldiers.
