Rajouri: A fierce gunfight broke out between security forces and militants during a search operation in Dhori Wali Maal upper reaches in Rajouri district on Sunday.
Additional Director General of Police for Jammu zone Mukesh Singh stated that there were high chances that one militant was killed in the gun-fire.
“The operation is going on and intermittent exchange of fire is also taking place. There are high chances that one terrorist has so far been killed but the same cannot be confirmed unless the body is recovered,” Singh told Greater Kashmir.
PRO Defence Lt Col Devender Anand told Greater Kashmir, “The operation is still going on there. That’s the information I can provide you at this moment.”
Meanwhile, the security grid was strengthened in the wake of ongoing encounter in Rajouri district.
Encounter started on early Sunday morning and exchange of fire was going on at regular intervals in the area when last reports were received.
Officials told Greater Kashmir that security forces received information about some suspicious movement in upper reaches between Thannamandi and Manjakote of Rajouri district.
They added that on the basis of this information, security forces launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) during the intervening night of September 11 and 12. On Sunday morning, contact was established between the militants and security forces.
“A joint search party of army and police was moving towards dense forest cover when terrorists hiding in there opened fire which was retaliated by forces leading to exchange of fire and the contact got established,” the officials said.
They further said that since Sunday morning, the exchange of fire between militants and forces was going on intermittently in the forest area of Dori Wali Maal.
The police officials informed Greater Kashmir that the area, where the encounter was going on, was located on the boundary of Thannamandi and Manjakote police stations. Reinforcement of both army and police had been rushed to the area, they added.