Encounter breaks out in Kulgam; militants manage to flee
Army, police and Central Reserve Police Force had launched a joint operation after receiving an input about presence of militants at Yumrach village in the district
An encounter broke out between militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, police said on Thursday. Last night the army, police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had launched a joint operation after receiving an input about presence of militants at Yumrach village in the district, a police official said. He said the search operation turned into an encounter after the militants shot at the search party indiscriminately .
“The troops immediately took cover and retaliated, however, the militants managed to escape taking the cover of darkness. A case has been registered and investigation is underway,” a police statement said.
The police said searches were still under progress in the area to track down the militants.
Last week, J&K police had got a big breakthrough in South Kashmir after operational commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, Riyaz Naikoo, was killed in an encounter at his native village, Gulzarpora Beighpora. He was killed along with his associate, a militant from Pulwama.
Since the lockdown was announced in Kashmir on March 21, as many as 33 militants and their two associates were killed in 15 gunfights in different parts of Kashmir.
Most of the encounters took place in four districts of South Kashmir- -Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag. 20 security personnel had lost their lives in 18 in gunfights and two army men were killed in ceasefire violation on the Line of Control.
Director general of police Dilbagh Singh had recently attributed the surge in attacks to fresh infiltration reported from north Kashmir’s Uri and Kupwara sectors.
