Two militants killed in Kulgam encounter; four security personnel injured
Kulgam encounter: An intense gunfight erupted between security forces and militants in the Adigam Devsar area of Kulgam district, Kashmir, on Saturday morning. By the afternoon, two militants had been neutralised by the joint forces of the Indian Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police. There was initial intelligence indicating that two to three militants were hiding in the area.
During the operation, three Indian Army personnel and the Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Kulgam, Mumtaz Ali Bhatti, sustained injuries. All four injured personnel were immediately shifted to Srinagar for treatment at the 92 Base Hospital.
The Kashmir Zone Police confirmed the encounter via a post on X (formerly Twitter) at 7:05 am on Saturday, announcing the start of the joint search operation by the police and the Army in Adigam. As the forces launched the search, the militants opened fire, triggering a fierce encounter that continues as of the latest reports.
The injured security personnel were identified as ASP Mumtaz Ali Bhatti, along with soldiers Sohan Kumar, Yoginder, and Mohammad Isran. They were shifted to Srinagar's 92 Base Hospital, where they are receiving medical attention.
In a separate development, the Jammu and Kashmir police uncovered a major terror module linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit in Awantipora, Pulwama, on Friday. Six terrorist associates were arrested during the operation, who were responsible for recruiting and training local youth in terrorist activities.
The police recovered a large cache of weapons and explosives from the arrested individuals, including five Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), 30 detonators, 17 IED batteries, two pistols, three magazines, 25 rounds of ammunition, four hand grenades, and Rs 20,000 in cash.
The police revealed that the Jaish operatives, backed by handlers from Pakistan, were scouting for vulnerable youth who could be brainwashed into joining their ranks. Investigation shows that a local Over Ground Worker (OGW) of the terror group, while in jail, helped identify and radicalise young individuals. These recruits were being trained in the Tral region of Awantipora.
The Pakistani handlers had already selected locations to plant IEDs and funded the youth to procure the necessary equipment. The arrested youths were equipped with pistols, grenades, and IEDs to carry out targeted killings, attacks on security forces, public areas, and non-Kashmiri labourers.
The recent bust follows the August 12 arrest of a nine-member "shepherd module" in Jammu and Kashmir, which was aiding terrorists infiltrating from Samba and Kathua borders. These individuals provided shelter and supplies to militants and trained them to hide in mountainous terrain.
Between September 3 and September 14, five militants were killed in three separate encounters across the region. On September 13, two soldiers were martyred and two others injured during a gunfight in the Pingnal Dugadda forest area of Chatroo in Jammu and Kashmir.
On the same day, two militants were killed in an operation in Kathua’s Khandara area by the Rising Star Corps of the Indian Army, with a significant quantity of weapons recovered from the scene.
Another encounter took place in Baramulla’s Chak Tapar area of Kreeri on September 14, where three militants were neutralised by security forces after a prolonged gun battle.
- With inputs from agencies
