Search operations have been intensified in the forests of South Kashmir’s Kokernag where the death toll on Sunday increased to three with a civilian succumbing after being critically injured during the encounter between security forces and terrorists.

Another search operation was launched in the Paddar Batam Bridge of Kishtwar area in the Jammu division after a brief firefight between security forces and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists early this morning.

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Two soldiers were killed and four injured on Saturday when the encounter broke out. Two civilians were also injured during the encounter in the Ahlan Gagarmandu forest area of Kokernag at an altitude of 10,000 ft in the Anantnag district.

One of the two injured civilians, Abdul Rashid Dar, succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Srinagar early Sunday, officials said.

Reinforcements of the Army, the CRPF and the J&K Police have been deployed to comb the area and neutralise the fleeing terrorists.

The martyred Army soldiers have been identified as Havaldar Dipak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Praveen Sharma.

The operation to track down the terrorists was continuing despite the challenging mountainous topography. The gunfight started on Saturday evening during a cordon and search operation that was initiated by the security forces based on intelligence reports indicating the presence of terrorists in the remote Ahlan Gagarmandu forest.

Meanwhile, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi and All Ranks of the Indian Army saluted the supreme sacrifice of Bravehearts Havaldar Dipak Kumar Yadav and L/Nk Praveen Sharma, who laid down their lives in the line of duty.

Northern Army Commander Lt General MV Suchindra Kumar and all ranks of Dhruva Command also paid tributes to the Bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice beyond the call of duty in Anantnag.

The terrorists involved in the Kokernag encounter appear to be trained in jungle warfare as they managed to reach the mountainous southern part of Kashmir after terror strikes in the Doda district of Jammu in July when four soldiers, including a Captain, lost their lives.

A defence spokesman said these terrorists had “sneaked across the Kishtwar range into the Kapran Garol area in South Kashmir. Rashtriya Rifles and J&K Police have ever since relentlessly tracked these terrorists and precise operations were launched on the night of 9 and 10 August in the area East of Kapran, in the mountains, where these terrorists were reportedly holed up”.

Joint teams of the Army, paramilitary forces and Police have also launched a search operation in Nowhatta, Naageni Peyaas and adjoining areas of Kishtwar following information about movement of terrorists.

Reinforcements have been rushed to the area after a group of terrorists opened fire at the security forces this morning.