What Happened in the J&K Encounter: Cop Killed, Terrorist Injured?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Jammu, Dec 16 (NationPress) A tragic incident unfolded in Jammu and Kashmir, where a police officer lost his life, and a terrorist was reported injured during an ongoing anti-terror operation in Udhampur district on Tuesday.
According to officials, a local policeman from the Special Operations Group (SOG) was killed while engaging with a terrorist in a gunfight located in the Sohan village within the Majalta tehsil of the district.
The fallen constable has been named as Amjad Pathan, the son of Bashrat Khan and a resident of Salva, Mendhar in the Poonch district. Additionally, two other SOG personnel sustained injuries during the encounter.
While the firing exchanges ceased in the morning, the area remains under a strict security cordon, with all potential escape routes for the terrorists effectively blocked.
This confrontation began when joint security forces initiated a search operation based on intelligence reports regarding the presence of three terrorists linked to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) group.
The Army’s Nagrota-based White Knight Corps stated on X, “In an intelligence-led operation, the SOG of J&K police and the army engaged terrorists in a gunfight in the vicinity of Sohan, Udhampur district, with firefights ongoing.”
Police confirmed that contact was established with the terrorists after accurate information was relayed about their location in the remote village. IGP Jammu, Bhim Sen Tuti, commented, “A small SOG team made contact with the terrorists! The combing operations in the forest have been hampered by darkness and difficult terrain.”
The encounter initiated around 6 p.m. on Monday and lasted for a significant duration, resulting in injuries to one SOG member, who later succumbed to his injuries. It is believed that one terrorist was also injured during the initial exchange of fire. The operation was paused for the night and resumed at first light.
Reinforcements have been dispatched to the area to enhance the security cordon and neutralize the hiding terrorists.