Rajouri: The encounter between forces and militants going on in Bhata Dhurian village of Mendhar entered the fourth straight day on Sunday as heavy gunfire rattled the area the entire day.
Encounter started in dense forests of Nar Khas in Bhata Dhurian village of Mendhar sub division of Poonch district on Thursday evening after a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) was launched by forces in the area. During the CASO, the militants fired on the search team in which two army personnel were killed on the spot.
Besides, two army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) lost contact with the rest of their team members and went missing. Their bodies were recovered on Saturday evening. Meanwhile, on Sunday, for the fourth straight day, the encounter continued in the area while the entire forest cover and general area of Bhata Dhurian, Sangiote remained under tight cordon.
Heavy exchange of gunfire at the encounter site continued throughout the day. Heavy explosions on the encounter site rattled the entire area. “Operation is going on in full swing and teams of army and police including special commandos are on the job,” said officials. They said that senior army and police officers were camping at the spot and monitoring the situation.
Locals also claimed to have seen smoke coming out of the forest area as the army was using heavy weaponry to flush out the militants. On the other hand, a combing operation in the Chamrer forest area also entered its seventh day on Sunday.