Army kills two terrorists in Poonch; intense firing continue as four more trapped in separate gunfight

Samaan Lateef

Srinagar July 17

The Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch, resulting in the elimination of two terrorists in the wee hours of Monday.

Concurrently, in a separate operation a few kilometres away, an intense gunfight is underway as three to four more terrorists are believed to be trapped within the cordon of the Army.

Defence spokesperson Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said, “In a joint operation conducted by the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police, a major infiltration bid was eliminated in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district.”

The operation was launched based on specific intelligence about the possible infiltration of terrorists in the KG sector of Poonch, Bartwal said.

During the early hours of Monday, the troops established contact with the infiltrating terrorists, leading to a heavy exchange of fire.

In the ensuing firefight, two terrorists were neutralized, he said.

“One terrorist was killed on the spot, while another fell into the Poonch river. A massive search operation was initiated, resulting in the recovery of a terrorist’s body at the site,” he said.

Significantly, a war-like store was also discovered, which had an AK-74 rifle with a magazine and eleven rounds, along with other supplies for sustenance.

In a separate ongoing operation, an intense gunfight is underway as the Army, supported by Jammu and Kashmir’s Special Operation Group (SOG), on specific inputs about the presence of terrorists in the general area of Sindarah and Maidana near Surankote tehsil of Poonch cordoned off the area.

The forces have established contact with the remaining terrorists, and efforts are underway to neutralize them.

“The firefight is still ongoing, and our troops are meticulously conducting search operations within the cordon. Three to four terrorists are believed to be trapped in the area,” said the defence spokesperson.