Days ahead of the first phase of the assembly election in J&K, the Indian Army on Wednesday eliminated two heavily armed terrorists in an ongoing gunfight at Khandara near the Basantgarh area in the Kathua district.
A cache of arms and ammunition was recovered during the operation.
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Confirming the killing of two terrorists, the Rising Star Corps of the Indian Army wrote on X; “Two terrorists neutralised in the Ongoing Operation at Khandara #Kathua by Troops of Rising Star Corps. Operations in progress.”
The gunfight took place when troops of the first para of the Army along with police moved to Khandara top following information about the presence of a group of terrorists, they said.
The hiding terrorists opened fire on the search parties around 12.50 pm, prompting retaliation by the security forces. Thereafter the Corps said; “Troops of #RisingStar Corps established contact with terrorists in general area Khandara #Kathua”.
Reinforcements have been rushed to the forest area to neutralise the other hiding terrorists, officials said.
There were reports that at least two more terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit were hiding in the forest area that borders the Udhampur district.
Earlier in the morning, the Border Security Force (BSF) said that one of its personnel was injured in unprovoked firing from Pakistan in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu district, near the International Border.
A BSF spokesman said “On 11 September at about 2.35 AM, an incident of unprovoked firing in Akhnoor area from across the border happened and which was befittingly responded by BSF. One BSF personnel sustained injuries in Pak firing. Troops are on high alert”.