Examiner Bureau | Udhampur:
Two militants were killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in the Maljata area of Udhampur district, officials said on Thursday, as a joint search operation continued in the area to rule out the presence of any other militants.
The encounter broke out late Wednesday evening after security forces received specific information about the presence of suspected militants in the area. Following the inputs, security personnel launched a cordon-and-search operation and intensified surveillance across the surrounding area.
According to officials, gunfire was heard during the operation, following which security forces engaged the suspected militants. The exchange of fire continued into the night before two militants were killed.
The identities of the slain militants have not yet been ascertained, and their affiliations have also not been officially established. Arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site, officials said.
The operation involved a joint team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Army’s Para (Special Forces), with additional security personnel subsequently deployed in the area.
Security forces have intensified combing and search operations in the surrounding terrain to determine whether any other militants are hiding in the area.
The operation is being conducted amid heightened security vigilance in the Jammu region, particularly in areas where security agencies have received inputs regarding the movement of suspected militants.
Officials said further details, including the identities of the slain militants and the exact nature of the arms and ammunition recovered, would be established as the operation and investigation progress.
The latest encounter comes amid continued counter-insurgency operations across Jammu and Kashmir, with security forces maintaining heightened surveillance and conducting searches in forested and difficult-to-access areas.
The search operation in Maljata remained underway on Thursday as forces continued efforts to ensure that no further threat remained in the area.
