Two terrorists affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit were killed in an ongoing operation in the upper reaches of Basantgarh in Udhampur district today.
Bodies of the two terrorists, believed to be from Pakistan, along with an M-4 carbine, an AK assault rifle, a pistol and large quantity of ammunition and eatables were recovered from the scene. Identity of slain terrorists hasn’t been established so far but they were foreigners & believed to be Pakistanis.
This was the first successful operation against the terrorists in the dense forest which witnessed over half-a-dozen encounters in the past six months, claiming the lives of a Village Defence Guard on April 28 and a CRPF Inspector on August 19.
The officials said one more terrorist is believed to be trapped in Khandara top area and efforts are on to neutralize him.
More reinforcements were rushed and the operation was extended to adjoining Kudwah and Raichak, they said.
The operation was jointly launched by the Army and police in the early hours of the day and the first contact with the terrorists was established at around 12.50 pm, leading to a fierce gunfight, the officials said.
“Two terrorists neutralized in the ongoing operation at Khandara by troops of Rising Star Corps. Operations in progress,” the Army said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, a BSF jawan was injured when Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing on Indian posts in violation of a ceasefire agreement along the border here today.
The BSF troops also retaliated but the casualties on the Pakistani side were not known immediately.
“At about 2.35 am, an incident of unprovoked firing in the Akhnoor area from across the border happened and which was befittingly responded by the BSF. One BSF personnel sustained injuries in Pakistani firing,” a spokesperson of the border guarding force said.
He said the troops are on high alert and keeping a strict vigil all along the International Border and Line of Control.
The ceasefire violation between the two countries has been very rare ever since India and Pakistan renewed the ceasefire agreement on February 25, 2021. Last year, a BSF jawan was killed in Pakistan Rangers firing in the Ramgarh sector, the first loss of life on the Indian side in more than three years.
The latest ceasefire violation comes days ahead of the first phase of the three-phase assembly elections scheduled on September 18. The second phase of the elections will be held on September 25 followed by the third phase on October 1.
