J&K: Two Indian Army Soldiers Killed as Kulgam Encounter Enters Seventh Day

Two Indian Army personnel have been killed in an ongoing encounter in Kulgam’s Akhal area in Jammur and Kashmir, where security forces are locked in a tense operation against heavily armed terrorists hiding in dense forests. 

Special forces and para-troopers are moving cautiously on the ground, while helicopters hover overhead and drones continue to strike suspected hideouts.

The gunfight began last Friday after the Army, police, and CRPF launched a joint operation on a tip-off about the presence of a large group of terrorists in the area. In the initial exchange of fire, one local militant was gunned down.

Top police and Army commanders have been regularly visiting the site to oversee the high-risk operation. “Yes, it’s taking time because of the difficult terrain and forest area. But we will track them down,” said J&K DGP Nalin Prabhath, who is personally supervising the mission.

According to reports, there were initially five terrorists in the area, at least three of them believed to be foreign militants trained in jungle warfare. Very few local terrorists now have the capability to withstand such sustained security force action.

The Kulgam encounter comes days after security forces killed three Pakistani terrorists in the upper reaches of Srinagar. Those slain militants were responsible for the Pahalgam massacre on April 22, in which 26 people were killed. Union Home Minister Amit Shah told Parliament that the Srinagar operation was meticulously planned to eliminate the perpetrators.

Also Read: Operation Nader: Three Terrorists Neutralised in J&K's Awantipora