. Two Army soldiers were injured in an encounter with terrorists in the Ahlan Gagarmandu area of South Kashmir’s Kokernag on Saturday.

The injured soldiers have been evacuated to the military hospital, said the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps.

The Chinar Corps wrote on X; “Based on specific intelligence input, a Joint Operation was launched by Indian army, J&K Police and CRPF today in general area Kokernag, Anantnag. Contact was established and firefight ensued. Two personnel have been injured and evacuated from the area.
Operations are in progress”.

The Kashmir Zone Police earlier said on its official X handle, “Encounter has started at Ahlan Gagarmandu area of District Anantnag. Police and Security forces are on the job. Further details shall follow”.

The encounter broke out when the
security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area following information about the presence of terrorists there, officials said.
The terrorists fired upon the search party, which retaliated, the officials said.

Exchange of fire is going on and further details are awaited.

In a statement the terror outfit Kashmir Tigers of the Jaish-e-Mohammad has claimed responsibility for the gunfight, reports said.

Intermittent exchange of fire between the security forces and terrorists was going on.

Two senior Army officers and a deputy superintendent of J&K Police lost their lives a few months ago in a terrorist ambush in the same area.

Earlier in the morning, the Jammu and Kashmir Police released sketches of four terrorists who were reported moving on the high mountain pastures of the Kathua district.The Police has also announced a reward of Rs. 5 lakh for credible information on whereabouts of each of these terrorists.

The Kathua district Police released sketches of these 4 terrorists who, it said, were last seen in dhoks (mud houses of migrant Gujjars at the pastures) of Malhar , Bani and Seojdhar.

A reward of Rs.5 lakhs on each terrorist for actionable information and anyone with credible information of terrorists will also be suitably rewarded, said the police.

It is worth mentioning that terrorists generally make the dhoks of Gujjars their hideouts where they extract food and shelter from the migratory tribe at gunpoint.

The Police had a few days ago released sketches of four other terrorists who last month ambushed an Army truck near Billawar in Kathua and killed five soldiers and injured four.
Terrorist groups also attacked security forces in the Doda district where four soldiers, including a Captain, lost their lives.
Security forces have arrested several overground workers of terror outfits but the terrorists who have infiltrated from Pakistan were still untraceable.