Two unidentified terrorists were killed and five security forces personnel, including a police officer, injured on Saturday in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Arigam area of the Kulgam district.

The injured have been identified as Additional Superintendent of Police, Kulgam, Mumtaz Ali Bhatti, and sepoys Mohan Sharma, Sohan Kumar, Yoginder and Mohammad Isran of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of the Indian Army.

The Srinagar based Chinar Corps of the Indian Army confirmed the killing of two terrorists and said that two AK rifles, ammunition and other waar-like stores have been recovered from the terrorists. Search of the area is underway and the Operation is in progress.

The Northern Army Commander, Lt. General MV Suchindra Kumar has commended the joint forces of the Chinar Warriors and J&K Police for successfully neutralising two terrorists and appreciated the excellent synergy among the forces.

The encounter broke out in the morning after security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation there early in the morning. In the early exchange of fire, Additional Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Mumtaz Ali Bhatti suffered minor injuries due to a stray bullet near the encounter site, officials said.

The identity and group affiliation of the slain terrorists are being ascertained.

The Chinar Corps earlier wrote on X; “Based on specific intelligence input, a Joint Operation was launched by Indian Army and J&K Police today at Arigam, Kulgam. During the search terrorists fired indiscriminately and a firefight has ensued”.

Meanwhile, another encounter has broken out between the security forces and terrorists in the Billawar area of the Kathua district in the Jammu region where the third phase of assembly election will be held on 1 October.

Sources said that four to five terrorists are believed trapped in the cordon of security forces.

Additional DGP (Jammu Range) Anand Jain said that based on intelligence about the presence of terrorists, a joint search operation was launched by the secuity forces in village Kog in the Billawar area. Contact has been established and few rounds have been fired from both sides. The area has been cordoned, he added.