Encounter breaks out in J&K’s Poonch, top terror group commander trapped

An encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in a village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Sunday morning.

A top terror group commander is said to be trapped among the three terrorists trapped in the village.

The gunfight began after security forces launched a cordon and search operation following information about the presence of terrorists in the village, PTI reported, citing an unidentified official.

Based on the tip off, a joint search operation was launched by the police and Army in the Pathanateer area near Gursai top in Mendhar sub-division on Saturday evening.

According to the official, the search party came under fire from the hiding terrorists, triggering a gunfight.

An intermittent exchange of fire is on between both sides, the official said, adding that reinforcements were rushed to the area.

The encounter comes a day after three terrorists were killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in Baramulla district.

The operation against terrorists was launched on Friday night after the army and police received input about terrorist presence in Tapper village, just a couple of km away from the National Highway.

The killing comes four days ahead of the first phase of assembly elections in J&K.

Inspector general of police Kashmir Range Vidhi Kumar Birdi, who visited the spot, said the operation was launched after they got specific inputs about militant presence in the area.

“The bodies have been spotted near the encounter site and operation is still underway.” He said the terrorists won’t be allowed to disrupt polls in J&K. “The forces are on high alert and terrorists won’t be allowed to hamper the poll process,” he said, adding that only after investigation motto of the terrorists’ presence would be known in this area.