In a major achievement for the security forces, two Pakistani terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit were killed on Wednesday in an ongoing encounter in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur district. These terrorists were holed up in a natural cave in the Basantgarh forests since Tuesday afternoon.
The joint operation ‘KIYA’ was being carried out by the Army, the CRPF, and the J&K Police.
Confirming neutralisation of the two terrorists, the White Knight Corps of the Indian Army said, “Based on specific intelligence input provided by J&K Police, troops of Counter Infiltration Force (CIF) Delta, White Knight Corps planned and executed a focused joint counter-terror operation in the general area of Jophar forest, Basantgarh (J&K) in coordination with JKP and CRPF reinforcing the cordon, ensuring effective area domination to prevent escape of terrorists”.
“Contact with terrorists was established yesterday, and since then, terrorists were prevented from breaking contact. Following a calibrated and coordinated response, two terrorists have been successfully neutralised. The operation highlighted seamless inter-agency coordination, tactical precision and high standards of professionalism. Operation concluded successfully. Area remains under surveillance”.
After the overnight lull, a fresh exchange of fire and deafening explosions rocked the area around 7.30 pm when the holed-up terrorists attempted to flee under the cover of darkness.
Army reinforcements, including paratroopers and dog squads, were rushed in to further tighten the cordon.
Security forces, early this morning, prepared for a final assault on the two JeM terrorists, with no exchange of fire reported during the night.
Meanwhile, security agencies have been put on high alert after another Pakistani balloon was recovered in the Nad area of Samba district, raising concerns amid a series of similar incidents