Anantnag encounter: Two militants trapped day after Commanding Officer, Major, DSP killed

Samaan Lateef

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Srinagar, September 14

A fresh gunfight broke out on Thursday a day after two Army officers and a police officer were killed during an ambush in the forest area of Gadool village of Kokernag. Two militants are said to be trapped.

Security forces have launched an aerial operation to take on the hiding militants.

The joint team of Army and police had trekked 1km inside the jungle after receiving an input about the presence of militants in the area.

The militants involved in the fresh gunfight could be from the same group of militants spread from the Rajouri-Poonch axis in Jammu to south Kashmir, officials said.

On Wednesday, three security personnel — a colonel commanding a battalion and a major, and a J&K DSP were killed in the gunfight with terrorists in Kokorenag area while a soldier went missing.

Colonel Manpreet Singh, Commanding Officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Ashish Dhonack, and DSP Humayun Bhat were critically injured in the gunfight with terrorists that ensued in Garol area of Anantnag district on Wednesday.

The officers succumbed to their injuries later, the officials said, adding that a jawan also died. The whereabouts of another soldier were not immediately known and it is feared he might have been seriously wounded.