Budgam: Security forces have killed one suspected terrorist in a late-night encounter in the Palmaiden-Mugpathri forest area of Budgam district in central Kashmir. The operation is continuing in the dense forest area. Additional forces have been sent to the site to search for any other terrorists.
The encounter began after security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation on the basis of specific intelligence about the presence of terrorists in the area. A similar pattern was seen in an earlier operation in Budgam in September, when the Army, the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched a joint search operation in the Ashdar Gali area based on intelligence inputs. As troops moved deeper into the forest and intensified the search, the alleged terrorists opened fire. Security forces returned fire, leading to an exchange that continued through the night. One armed man was killed during the operation. His identity has not so far been established. The area has been placed under a tight security cordon. Search teams are moving through the forest to check possible hiding places and escape routes. More personnel have also been deployed at the site as the operation continues. The encounter has taken place in the forest belt of the Pir Panjal range, an area where security forces have carried out several counter-terror operations in recent weeks. The thick forest cover and difficult terrain make search operations time-consuming and require troops to move carefully through the area. Security forces have intensified the search after the killing of the unidentified gunman. Additional teams have been sent to the encounter site to assist with the operation. The immediate task is to establish whether his accomplices are still present in the forest. Troops have tightened the cordon around the area and are checking routes that could be used to move out of the forest. One suspected terrorist was killed after troops noticed suspicious movement. Security forces claimed to have found an AK-series rifle and other war-like stores from the site. The deployment has also involved operations from both sides of the Pir Panjal. In the September Ashdar Gali operation, forces searched the forest area connecting the higher reaches of Yusmarg with the Poonch side. Security personnel extended the cordon after one alleged terrorist was killed and continued looking for another suspected terrorist.
Security forces have also set up temporary operational bases in the Pir Panjal mountains to support searches. Security agencies suspect that around 40 to 50 such bases can be active at any time.
Forces extended the search through the dense terrain and maintained a cordon around the area. Security agencies have increased their presence across the forest areas around the Pir Panjal range as operations have intensified in the difficult mountainous terrain. Because security agencies suspected that other terrorists could still be in the forest, that operation also continued after the initial gun battle.
