SRINAGAR: Two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir, an encounter erupted between militants and security forces in the Sunjwan area of Jammu in which a jawan has been killed and four others have been injured. The death toll in the Baramulla encounter has risen to four with the killing of two more militants.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jammu Mukesh Singh said security forces launched a search operation in the Sunjawan area of Jammu yesterday evening after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in the area.
“We had reports that militants wanted to do something. The search party of security forces came under fire from militants in the early hours today in which a security force jawan was killed and four others injured,” he said.
The injured security men have been evacuated to Government Medical College Jammu.
More reinforcement has been rushed to the area to tighten the siege and prevent militants from escaping from the area.
The ADGP said it seems that militants are hiding in a house and firing on security forces from there.
Loud explosions were heard from the area and heavy gunfire was going on.
The administration as a precautionary measure has closed all schools in the area while the security arrangements in other parts of Jammu have been tightened and patrolling intensified.
Meanwhile, the encounter between militants and security forces at Malwah area of Baramulla in north Kashmir entered the second day today.
A police official said two more militants were killed in the overnight gunfight, taking the death toll of militants killed in the encounter to four.
Among the slain militants is top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Yousuf Kantroo, who was the longest surviving LeT militant and had been active since 2020. He had twice recycled to the militancy after the arrest.
IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar has said Kantroo was involved in the killing of several security men and civilians termed his killing a major success for security forces.