SRINAGAR: An fierce encounter broke out between a group of militants and security forces in the Hiranagar area, near the International Border (IB), in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district on Sunday evening.
Sources said a joint team of the police, CRPF, and the army launched a search operation in Sanyal village in the Hiranagar sector after receiving intelligence inputs about the infiltration of militants from across the border.
During the operation, the security forces tracked and intercepted the group of militants.
“As the security men were conducting searches, militants fired on them. The fire was returned by the troops, triggering an encounter,” a security official said.
The exchange of gunfire between the two sides was ongoing at the time of the latest reports.
It is suspected that a group of three to five militants, who have freshly infiltrated, are trapped in the area. Additional troops have been rushed in to strengthen the siege and prevent their escape.
“The operation was going on when reports last poured in,” the official added.