3 policemen killed, 3 terrorists gunned down in encounter in J&K’s Kathua

Three terrorists and as many policemen were killed in a day-long gunfight in the remote forested area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, news agency PTI reported, citing officials on Thursday.

Seven other policemen, including a deputy superintendent of police, were injured the encounter that was led by Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and assisted by the Army and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), officials said.

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 encounter broke out around 8 am on Thursday 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 (JeM) outfit, PTI quoted officials as saying.

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 sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) leading a search party, the above-mentioned 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, officials said.

The gunfight led to firing and explosions, with dozens of local youth were seen assisting the security forces to carry heavy weapons and ammunition deep inside a gorge, the officials said.

The officials cited in the report said that three terrorists were killed in the encounter and five police personnel, including the SDPO, were reportedly trapped near the gunfight’s location, adjacent to a rivulet concealed by dense foliage.

3 cops dead: Sources

While the SDPO — a DSP rank officer — was evacuated from the scene late in the evening evening, three of his personal security officers were found dead, official sources quoted by news agency PTI said, adding the fate of another missing policeman was not known immediately.

An official confirmation is expected on Friday.

The bodies of the terrorists were also not retrieved so far as security forces halted the operation for the night, the officials said, adding that 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.

The terrorists are also presumed dead but their bodies could not be located by the drones, the officials said.

Besides the SDPO, two more policemen were admitted in Kathua hospital and their condition was stated to be “stable”. Two army personnel were also injured and shifted to military hospital.

Special troops of Army were airdropped at the encounter site in the evening to amp up the cordon around the area, the officials said, adding bodies of two terrorists were noticed using drones and would be retrieved on Friday morning.

Meanwhile, the People’s Anti-Fascist Front, a proxy outfit of JeM, claimed responsibility for the firing on the police party.

Group of terrorists spotted

Last Sunday evening, a group of terrorists were intercepted by the SOG in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district.

Despite a massive search operation, the terrorists managed to escape the initial cordon, the officials said, adding it is assumed that the same could have been possibly spotted near Jakhole, approximately 30 kilometers from the initial encounter site.

The terrorists were moving through the forest area when a police party headed by a SDPO moved in after getting specific information, the officials said, adding they came under heavy firing resulting in the gunfight.

The search teams found evidence on Monday, including four loaded magazines of M4 carbine, two grenades, a bulletproof jacket, sleeping bags, tracksuits, food packets, and materials for constructing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) near the Hiranagar encounter site.

Police believe the terrorists infiltrated on Saturday, possibly via a ravine route or a newly constructed tunnel from across the border.