The operation against terrorists was launched on Friday night after the army and police received input about terrorist presence in Tapper village, just a couple of km away from the National Highway
Three terrorists were killed on Saturday morning in an overnight encounter with security forces in Baramulla district, police said.
The operation against terrorists was launched on Friday night after the army and police received input about terrorist presence in Tapper village, just a couple of km away from the National Highway. The killing comes four days ahead of the first phase of assembly elections in J&K. At least 40 assembly segments will go to polls in J&K on Wednesday.
The army and police officers on the spot said the search operation is still in progress.
“Based on specific intelligence input regarding the presence of terrorists, a Joint Operation was launched by #IndianArmy & @JmuKmrPolice on the intervening night of 13-14 Sep 24 in general area Chak Tapar Kreeri, Baramulla. Contact was established and a firefight ensued,” Army’s Chinar Corps posted on X on Saturday morning.
Later, the army said three terrorists were killed, which is a blow to the terrorist network in the area. “Three terrorists have been neutralised by the security forces in the ongoing operation. Weapons and warlike stores have been recovered. The #Chinarcorps have dealt some crippling blows to the terror network in North Kashmir over the past few days with significant recoveries and elimination of terrorists, inspiring confidence and assurance for upcoming events scheduled in the region. Operation is in progress,” the Indian Army wrote on X.
Inspector general of police Kashmir Range Vidhi Kumar Birdi, who visited the spot, said the operation was launched after they got specific inputs about militant presence in the area. “The bodies have been spotted near the encounter site and operation is still underway.” He said the terrorists won’t be allowed to disrupt polls in J&K. “The forces are on high alert and terrorists won’t be allowed to hamper the poll process,” he said, adding that only after investigation motto of the terrorists’ presence would be known in this area.
Baramulla to go for polls on Oct 1
The killings come after three terrorists were killed on August 29 in Kupwara following the start of preparations for the assembly elections last month when dates of elections, which are held in three phases, were announced by the Election Commission of India in August. The seven assembly segments of Baramulla district will go to polls on the third phase of elections on October 1.
On Saturday, two army soldiers were killed and two more were injured in an encounter in Kishtwar after police and the army had launched a search and cordon operation in the Naidgham area in the Chatroo, which connects Kishtwar with the Kashmir Valley. The area where the operation took place last night is surrounded by dense forests with minimal presence of security forces and is close to the Kokernag and Daksum forest range, where forces have conducted search operations in the past.
NC, Cong blame BJP rise in terror attacks
The National Conference (NC) and Congress blamed the BJP government for the spike in the attacks and encounters, especially when the BJP claimed the situation had been peaceful in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370.
“Only 24 hours ago in Doda where Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a gathering, we lost two soldiers, including an officer. In north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the encounter is still in progress. Prime Minister talks about families to mislead people. He must speak on the current situation. When Article 370 was removed from J&K, they told the people of the country the gun in Kashmir was because of Article 370 and gun culture would end after abrogation of Article 370. Now, after five years of abrogation, encounters are still taking place,” NC vice president Omar Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a political rally in south Kashmir.