SRINAGAR: No contact has been made with the two to three militants suspected of hiding in the forest area of Broh in Kalakote, Rajouri district, on the fourth day of the encounter, The Tribune reported. This suggests that the militants may have escaped the security cordon.
Heavy security presence was deployed in the area early on Monday upon receiving reports of militants moving in the jungle, with the local police, CRPF, and Para commandos of the Army joining the operation. The encounter commenced on Monday.
While gunfire exchanges between militants and security forces were reported on Monday and Tuesday, there have been no updates on the militants since Wednesday.
Following the recent Kokernag encounter in Kashmir, where senior Army and police officers were killed, the Army in Kalakote has been employing drones and helicopters to track the militants in the forested areas. A police official said, “Either the terrorists managed to elude the security forces, or they are concealed within the dense forest, which also has natural caves.”
In September, during an encounter in the Tuli area, a militant managed to evade the cordon after his accomplice was killed. At that time, the Army and police had intensified their search efforts. In the Kashmir region, militants have evaded capture on multiple occasions.
It is believed that the Kalakote militants are well-trained and armed with AK series rifles and grenades. Security forces have not yet recovered any weapons or belongings from the militants, but the search operation in the region has been intensified.
J&K DGP Dilbag Singh, as per The Tribune stated on Thursday that the police, along with other security forces, are dedicated to eradicating the last remnants of militancy in the UT. He made these remarks during a visit to the High Ground area of Anantnag district.
