The number of Pakistani terrorists killed in two encounters in Kashmir during the past three days increased to seven on Saturday when two more terrorists were eliminated near Dooru in Anantnag district of South Kashmir.

Five Pakistani terrorists were killed earlier this week in the Kupwara district.

Police said that the terrorists killed on Saturday were from the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit. The seizures from the encounter spot indicated that they were Pakistani nationals and their bodies were unidentified. AK-47 rifles, pistols, grenades and other ammunition have been recovered from them.

No collateral damage has been reported in the encounter. Five Pakistani terrorists were killed in an encounter at Halmatpura in Kupwara district earlier this week. Five security personnel, including three Army jawans and two SOG policemen, were killed in the encounter between security forces and terrorists in the forest area of Halmatpura.

In a bid to gear up anti-terrorist operations in the valley, Lt Gen AK Bhatt, the Chinar Corps Commander, chaired a key security review meet at Pohrupet which was attended by top Army and police officers apart from the field commanders from both the forces.

The aim of the review of security situation was to strengthen the synergy among all agencies engaged in counter-terror operations, which has resulted in the elimination of a large number of terrorists with minimum collateral damage in recent times.

North Kashmir, once the hub of foreign terrorists, has been turned around with a relatively stable security environment due to the joint efforts of the security forces and seamless cooperation and coordination among them.

The Chinar Corps Commander, along with SP Pani, IGP Kashmir, undertook an aerial survey of the area prior to the meet. The senior officers exhorted their men to continue to harmonise their endeavours to make North Kashmir terrorist-free. They also emphasised continued efforts to minimise collateral damage during operations and positive engagement with the youth to ensure peace and tranquillity in the region.

A peaceful security environment would facilitate development, disruption-free educational calendar, boost to tourism sector and impetus to employment opportunities.