Srinagar: A Colonel of the Rashtriya Rifles, an Army Major, and a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) were among three officers killed in an encounter with terrorists in Kokernag area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
More reinforcements have been rushed to the area and a massive operation is underway to nab the terrorists.
This is the second major terror strike in Kashmir in the past over a month.
The killed officers have been identified as Colonel Manpreet Singh and Major Ashish Dhonack of 19 RR, and DySP Muhammad Hamayun Muzamil Bhat of J&K Police.
“The CO, the Major and the DySP have been killed and a massive operation to nab the terrorists is underway,” a top J&K Police officer told Greater Kashmir.
Early in the morning, Police said, “Encounter has started in the Kokernag area of Anantnag. Officers from Army and J&K Police injured. Details shall follow @JmuKmrPolice,” Kashmir Zone Police wrote on X.
“Op Garol, Anantnag. Based on specific intelligence on presence of terrorists a joint operation was launched by the Indian Army and J&K Police on Tuesday night in Garol, Anantnag. The contact was established and firefight ensued. Two Army personnel and one J&K have been injured,” Indian Army’s Chinar Corps said in a tweet on Wednesday morning.
A top Police officer said a joint team of the J&K Police and the Indian Army’s Rashtriya Rifles had launched an operation in the forests near Gadool village of Kokernag in Anantnag on Tuesday night after receiving inputs about the movement of terrorists in the area.
“The search party led by the senior officers came under fire, leaving three officers critically wounded. The officers include an Army Colonel, who was commanding 19 RR battalion, an Army Major (19RR) and a Deputy Superintendent of Police,” he said.
“They were evacuated, however, they succumbed to their grievous injuries,” he said.
Hamayun Muzamil Bhat is son of retired Inspector General of Police, Ghulam Hassan Bhat.
Bhat also served as DIG Central Kashmir besides several other important postings.
Colonel Singh, leading his team from the front, attacked the terrorists.
However, the terrorists fired at him and his team and he was critically injured.
Preliminary reports suggested that two to three terrorists were spotted and were encircled in the area following a credible tip-off.
The joint team of the security forces comprising Army and Police personnel came under fire from the hiding terrorists during the search operation early Wednesday morning.__GK News
