Encounter breaks out between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir; 2 soldiers killed; 3 injured

An intense shootout between security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district resulted in the death of two soldiers on Saturday. The encounter began in the Ahlan Gadole area of Anantnag when terrorists attacked a patrol party conducting an anti-terror operation in the Kokernag forest area.

Anantnag: An intense shootout between security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district resulted in the death of two soldiers and three injured on Saturday (August 10). The encounter started in the Ahlan Gadole area of Anantnag district this afternoon when terrorists attacked a patrol party of security forces who were conducting an anti-terror operation in the forest area of the Kokernag subdivision.

Security forces initiated a cordon and search operation in Ahlan Gadole in the Kokernag area of south Kashmir following reports of terrorists in the area. An encounter erupted when the terrorists opened fire on the search party, which responded with return fire. Special forces and army paratroopers are involved in the operation to flush out terrorists, who are believed to be foreign nationals.

The exchange of fire is ongoing, and further details are pending due to the area's communication challenges.

This afternoon's shootout marks the second significant confrontation in Kokernag within the past 12 months. A similar incident in September 2023 resulted in the loss of several high-ranking officials, including a Commanding Officer, a Major, and a Deputy Superintendent of Police, who fell during a fierce exchange with terrorists in the Kokernag forest.