Encounter breaks out between security forces, terrorists in J&K’s Poonch

An encounter erupted between terrorists and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Sunday, just days ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

The gunfight began when the security forces initiated a cordon and search operation based on information about the possibility of terrorists being present in the area.

Acting on a tip-off, police and Army personnel launched a joint search operation in the Pathanateer area on Saturday evening, according to a security official.

During the operation, the search team came under fire from suspected terrorists hiding in the area, leading to a gunfight.

Intermittent exchanges of gunfire between the two sides continue, the official said, noting that reinforcements have been dispatched to the location.

On Saturday, two Indian Army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), were killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district. In a separate operation in Baramulla, security forces killed three terrorists.

The Union Territory has been witnessing sporadic incidents of violence ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls, the first elections in the region in a decade, adding to concerns over regional stability.