Three JEM ultras killed, 12 security personnel injured in J&K encounter
JAMMU: Three terrorists of pro-pakistan Jaish-e-mohmmad were killed and 12 security personnel, including three officers, injured Thursday in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, a day after they fired on a police party here and escaped, officials said.
Police said the militants of Pakistani origin had crossed the International Border (IB) in Tarnah nallah and reached Kashmir from the Dayalachak area of Kathua district in a truck.
The encounter broke out after security forces, comprising CRPF, police and Army personnel, during a cordon and search operation, zeroed in on a location near a house in the district’s Kakriyal area, and surrounded the terrorists Thursday afternoon, they said.
Drones and choppers were used in the operation launched on Wednesday to track the militants, all of whom were aged between 18 and 22, they said.
JAMMU: Three terrorists of pro-pakistan Jaish-e-mohmmad were killed and 12 security personnel, including three officers, injured Thursday in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, a day after they fired on a police party here and escaped, officials said.
Police said the militants of Pakistani origin had crossed the International Border (IB) in Tarnah nallah and reached Kashmir from the Dayalachak area of Kathua district in a truck.
The encounter broke out after security forces, comprising CRPF, police and Army personnel, during a cordon and search operation, zeroed in on a location near a house in the district’s Kakriyal area, and surrounded the terrorists Thursday afternoon, they said.
Drones and choppers were used in the operation launched on Wednesday to track the militants, all of whom were aged between 18 and 22, they said.
Twelve security personnel were injured in the operation, police said.
Six CRPF personnel, including the deputy commandant and the assistant commandant, five cops, including Deputy Superintendent of Police
Mohan Lal, and an Armyman were injured, they said, adding that they were admitted to the Narayana hospital in Katra.
“On 12.09.2018 at about 0805 hours, during checking by flying squad of police at Domail on highway, police party signalled a truck bearing No. JK03-1476, which was on its way from Jammu to Srinagar to stop. In the meantime, three terrorists who were on board the said truck opened fire
(sic),” a police statement issued Thursday said.
Earlier, SSP (Jammu) Vivek Gupta said the cordon and search operation to track down the terrorists was launched in the Jhajjar-kotli forest belt in Jammu and Reasi districts after the militants fired on the security personnel on the JammuSrinagar National Highway Wednesday.
The militants had fled into the forest belt of which Kakriyal is a part.
One person was injured in the firing. The truck was seized, and its driver and helper were arrested, police said, adding that one AK-56 rifle, loaded magazines, one Chinese pistol and other incriminating material were recovered from the site.
The operation was launched in the villages near Katra, they said, adding that the security components of the Vaishnodevi shrine were also alerted.
A lookout notice was issued through social and mass media, they said.
Three senior superintendents of police (SSPS) of Reasi, Udhampur, Jammu, additional SP of Katra and the SDPO of Nagrota rushed to the spot after receiving information about the presence of terrorists in Jhajjarkotli, police said.
The vast area was kept under tight cordon during the night and with day break, contact was established after the terrorists were tracked at Kakriyal, they said.
“The exchange of fire continued till 5 pm this evening. In this encounter, all the three terrorists were neutralised. SDPO Nagrota, two officers of CRPF and some police and security force men were injured,” a police spokesperson said.
“It seems to be a case of fresh infiltration of yesterday morning from Pakistan most likely from Hiranagar belt of International Border. These terrorists had come from Pakistan,” he said.
Preliminary investigation suggests that the terrorists belonged to the JEM. Bodies of all three have been found, he said, adding that arms and ammunition were recovered from them.