Two terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in the forests of Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. The Anantnag encounter took place during a cordon and search operation in Kokernag to flush out hiding militants.
Police said the security forces launched the cordon and search operation based on specific intelligence input about the presence of militants in the Kachwan forest area of Kokernag in the south Kashmir district.
The search party had sealed all exit points to ensure the militants did not escape. The encounter ensued when the terrorists fired at the forces, which then retaliated and killed two of them.
The bodies of the militants were recovered along with arms and ammunition. The police said the identity of the slain terrorists and their group affiliation were being ascertained.
The district authorities have suspended mobile Internet facility as a precautionary measure.
Earlier, a cordon and search operation was launched in Kareemabad village of Pulwama district in the early hours of Tuesday to flush out hiding terrorists. The operation was called off as no militant could be found in the village. The security forces withdrew after groups of stone pelting youths reportedly engaged them in pitched clashes.
Security forces in large numbers were carrying out a door-to-door search operation to flush out the hiding militants after receiving information about their presence in the village, said the reports.
On Monday, the security forces had foiled a major mishap by defusing an IED that was planted by terrorists on the vital Jammu-Poonch Highway to target Army convoys moving towards areas along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK).