Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 2: Two terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Akhal forest area of Devsar in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district today.
A senior police officer said that on a tip-off about the presence of terrorists in the forest area, a joint team of the Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a cordon and search operation last evening.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
“The terrorists present in the area opened fire which was retaliated to, triggering an encounter in which two terrorists have been neutralised and the operation is on,” he said.
Both the slain terrorists are reportedly locals who had joined terrorist ranks two years ago. They were categorized as ‘C’ category terrorists.
Two more terrorists are believed to be trapped in the area.
One of the killed terrorists has been identified as Haris Nazir Dar son of Nazir Ahmad Dar of Kachipora, Pulwama. One AK 47 rifle, 4 AK magazines, 109 AK 47 snow (Steel) rounds and one hand grenade was recovered from the encounter site.
A case (FIR No. 59/2025 u/s 109 BNS 7/27 IA Act 13, 18, 20, 38 ULAP Act) has been lodged at Police Station Devsar.
A soldier was injured in the exchange of fire and has been shifted to a medical facility where his condition is said to be stable.
Army’s Chinar Corps posted on X: “Intermittent and intense firefight continued through the day. Alert troops responded with calibrated fire and tightened the noose while maintaining contact. Two terrorists have been neutralised so far. Operation Akhal continues.”
An official said that the thick forest cover and rugged terrain have posed challenges, but the area remains under tight security surveillance. Additional reinforcements have been deployed to seal all possible escape routes. Click here to watch video
“Drone surveillance, night vision equipment, and thermal imaging devices are being used to track movements in the dense foliage”.
The operation has been paused for the night due to poor visibility, in line with security protocols, and will resume at dawn.
Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat visited the encounter site and reviewed the ongoing counter-terror operation.
Pertinently, ‘Operation Akhal’ is the third major anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir within the past week.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
