At least two soldiers were killed in action following intense gunfighting with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar, said the Army. In another encounter, troops of the Rising Star Corps killed two terrorists in Kathua.
The army in a statement said that based on intelligence inputs, a joint operation with Jammu and Kashmir Police was launched in Chatroo at Kishtwar. Contact has been established with terrorists at 1530 hours. Two soldiers, the army said were killed in action in the ensuing firefight. The operation is on.
The gunbattle in Kishtwar's Chatroo broke out when security forces had launched an operation there. It is an on-going encounter, the White Knight Corps said in a post on X.
The same terrorists who were involved in the encounter at Kishtwar are also accused of being the perpetrators of another encounter in Doda which had taken place in July when four soldiers including an officer were killed, sources said.
The encounters occurred days ahead of voting in eight assembly segments spread across Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban districts in the Chenab valley region, besides 16 seats in the south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, and Kulgam on September 18.
Tomorrow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to campaign in Jammu and Kashmir.
The voting in the districts of Jammu, Kathua, and Samba will take place on September 25 in the second and third phases on October 1.
Read also| DRDO and Indian Navy Successfully Test Vertical Launch Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missile
