Kathua (Jammu): A fierce gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district resulted in the deaths of three terrorists and three policemen, with seven others, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), sustaining injuries, officials reported on Thursday.

The encounter began around 8 am in a dense forested region as security forces intensified operations against a group of terrorists suspected to have recently infiltrated from across the border. Officials believe the militants belong to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit.

However, it was not immediately clear whether it was the same group that had been evading an earlier cordon in Sanyal forest of Kathua region or another batch of infiltrated terrorists.

Heavy gunfire and explosions as security forces engage terrorists

The gunfight triggered intense firing and explosions, the officials said, as dozens of local youth were seen assisting the security forces to carry heavy weapons and ammunition deep inside a gorge.

The encounter took place near Jakhole village in the Ghati Juthana area of Rajbagh, involving approximately five terrorists.

In the initial exchange of fire, six policemen, including the sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) leading the search operation, sustained injuries. The Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, along with the Army and CRPF, retaliated, killing three terrorists.

As the operation unfolded, five police personnel, including the SDPO, were trapped near a rivulet concealed by dense foliage. Officials later confirmed that the DSP-rank officer was rescued late in the evening. However, three of his personal security officers were found dead, while the status of another missing policeman remains unknown.

Security forces to resume search for remaining terrorists

The J&K Police has neither confirmed nor denied the death of the policemen, saying a clear picture will emerge once the parties reach the scene on Friday morning.

The bodies of the terrorists were also not retrieved so far as security forces halted the operation for the night, the officials said.

The operation will be resumed with the first light of the day on Friday as two more terrorists are believed to be trapped in the area. They are also presumed dead but their bodies could not be located by the drones, the officials said.

Besides the SDPO, two more policemen were admitted in Kathua hospital and their condition was stated to be “stable”. Two army personnel were also injured and shifted to military hospital.

Army deploys special troops as terrorist outfit claims responsibility

Special troops of Army were airdropped at the scene of the encounter in the evening to further strengthen the cordon around the area, the officials said, adding bodies of two terrorists were noticed by drones and would be retrieved on Friday morning.

Meanwhile, the People's Anti-Fascist Front, a proxy outfit of JeM, claimed responsibility for the firing on the police party.

It may be mentioned that a group of terrorists were intercepted by the SOG in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district on Sunday evening.

Despite a massive search operation, the terrorists managed to escape the initial cordon, the officials said, adding it is assumed that the same could have been possibly spotted near Jakhole, approximately 30 kilometers from the initial encounter site.

The terrorists were moving through the forest area when a police party headed by a SDPO moved in after getting specific information, the officials said, adding they came under heavy firing resulting in the gunfight.

Reinforcements from the police, Army, and CRPF were immediately deployed in the area.

Villagers witness intense combat as security forces press on

The quiet village Suffain in Kathua district was shattered by the relentless sounds of gunfire, grenades, and rocket fire as a fierce exchange raged throughout the day, punctuated by a series of powerful explosions.

Earlier, a group of terrorists was intercepted on Sunday evening within a 'dhok', a local term for an enclosure in a nursery, in Sanyal village near the International Border with Pakistan.

A subsequent massive search operation, involving the police, Army, NSG, BSF, and CRPF, utilised advanced technical and surveillance equipment, including helicopters, UAVs, drones, bulletproof vehicles, and sniffer dogs.

Security forces recover arms and ammunition from encounter site

The search teams discovered evidence on Monday, including four loaded magazines of M4 carbine, two grenades, a bulletproof jacket, sleeping bags, tracksuits, food packets, and materials for constructing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) near the Hiranagar encounter site.

Police believe the terrorists infiltrated on Saturday, possibly via a ravine route or a newly constructed tunnel from across the border.

Director General of Police, Nalin Prabhat, and Inspector General of Police, Jammu Zone, Bhim Sen Tuti, have been overseeing the anti-terrorist operation from Kathua for the past four days, the officials said.

PTI