1 terrorist killed in ongoing encounter in J&K's Udhampur

Indian Express

5 hours ago

One terrorist was killed on Thursday in an encounter with a joint team of security forces at Basantgarh in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district, police said.
According to sources, the slain man was part of a group allied to the Jaish-e-Mohammad, who security forces had been tracking for a while.
Inspector General of Police (Jammu zone) Bhim Sen Tuti said, 'They are believed to be four in number, and we have been tracking (them) for the last one year.' Contact was established with them at around 8.30 am, he said.
The ongoing operation is taking place amid rain and dense fog, hampering visibility. Reinforcements have been rushed to the area to keep terrorists from escaping the encounter site, officials said.
The IG said the 'real picture will emerge once the weather improves'.
The Nagrota-based White Knight Corps of the Army said in the morning that the encounter began during a joint operation by the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police. 'Op BIHALI. Based on specific intelligence, a joint operation was launched by the Indian Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the BIHALI area of Basantgarh. Contact has been established with terrorists. The operation is in progress,' it said in the post.
Meanwhile, sources said the holed up terrorists appeared to be Pakistani nationals who are likely to be involved in the killing of a village defence guard (VDG) and an Army soldier during separate encounters since last year. They said the group likely entered Basantgarh from the adjoining Kathua district and had come from across the International Border with Pakistan.
The police and security forces have been tracking the group since last year and managed to intercept it on a number of occasions. The terrorists had, however, been managing to escape with the help of either dense forests or adverse weather conditions, officials said.
Thursday's encounter comes days ahead of the annual Amarnath yatra to the south Kashmir Himalayas, beginning July 3 from both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes. The yatra, which is undertaken by lakhs of pilgrims from all over the country, will conclude on August 9.
In 2024, a record number of more than 5.12 lakh pilgrims had visited the Amarnath shrine, situated at a height of 3,880 metres, during the 52-day yatra. In 2023, the number of pilgrims was 4.5 lakh.
This year, the yatra is being organised under intensified security cover in view of the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, in which 25 tourists and a local man were killed. While multiple security layers have been established, the administration has declared both yatra routes from Pahalgam and Baltal no-fly zones.