RAJOURI ENCOUNTER: DAY 2 | Slain terrorist’s body retrieved with arms, ammunition

Rajouri: The encounter between security forces and terrorists at Gundha village of Rajouri district entered second consecutive day as the body of slain terrorist was retrieved with a haul of arms and ammunition on Sunday.

Multilayer cordon was in place as a part of an anti-terrorist operation to flush out trapped terrorist(s), who may be one or two in number.

Officials said, “Security forces on Sunday retrieved the body of the eliminated terrorist from whose possession arms, ammunition and other explosive material besides eatables were recovered.”

“Operation to track terrorist(s) continued for the second day on Sunday. Joint teams of the Indian army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF are engaged in this operation,” officials said.

The encounter started on Saturday evening in Gundha village of Khawas tehsil in the border district.

ADGP Jammu zone Saturday evening had informed, “Following information of suspicious movement in Gundha village, Incharge Police Post Khawas along with his team and SoG personnel rushed to the area while army teams from nearby army camp of Rashtriya Rifles were also called in.”

“The terrorists hiding in the area opened fire on SoG personnel which was retaliated and an operation was launched by police, army and other forces. One terrorist has so far been eliminated in this encounter and the operation is still going on,” he had said.

Meanwhile, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jammu zone Mukesh Singh along with General Officer Commanding (GOC) Romeo Force Major General Mohit Trivedi, Deputy Inspector General of Police Dr Haseeb Mughal and other officers addressed a press conference at District Police Lines, Rajouri to share details about ongoing operation.

Regarding the identity of the slain terrorist, ADGP Mukesh Singh said that the terrorist was still to be identified but he seemed to be a Pakistani terrorist.

“We have recovered arms, including one AK series rifle, two pistols; eatables and other materials including SoS medicines from the possession of slain terrorist,” Singh said, adding that the bag of another terrorist was also recovered from the site of the encounter.

“The other terrorist(s), who are still there in the area, are being tracked and we are hopeful to intercept them at the earliest,” he said.

Regarding the role of Village Defence Committee (VDC) members in the ongoing encounter, ADGP Jammu said that in the fight against terrorism every stakeholder was playing its role.

He said that the role of these terrorists in other terror acts like that of Dhangri killings was a matter of investigation.

Major General Mohit Trivedi, on the other hand, said that this operation exhibited synergy among forces operating on ground.

“All the field forces are maintaining a high level of synergy and coordination and this operation is an indicator of the same,” the GoC said.