Two more terrorists gunned down in Akhnoor encounter

Two more terrorists were on Tuesday morning gunned down by security forces near a village in Jammu’s Akhnoor sector, a day after the forces neutralised another terrorist involved in the attack on an army ambulance near the Line of Control (LoC).

The 27-hour-long operation also saw the use of BMP-II infantry combat vehicles, officials said. The two terrorists holed up in a forest area near Assan temple in Jogwan, Battal-Khour area, were killed within two hours after the joint teams of special forces of the army, NSG commandos and the Jammu and Kashmir Police launched the final assault, they added.

“After round the clock surveillance throughout the night, an intense firefight unfolded today (Tuesday) morning resulting in a significant victory for our forces. Relentless operations and tactical excellence has led to the elimination of three terrorists,” the army’s Jammu-headquartered White Knight Corps said in a post on X. “The operation also saw the successful recovery of war-like stores, marking a critical step in maintaining security in the region.”

Briefing media persons after a successful operation, 10 Infantry Division GoC Major General Sameer Shrivastava said, “We used unmanned vehicles and some artificial intelligence that gave us quick and successful results. I hope that such surgical operations will defeat sinister plans of the terrorists and they will get demoralised.”

He, however, regretted the loss of army assault dog, Phantom. “During this operation we lost one Army Dog (Phantom). He was moving ahead when we were conducting search operations. The terrorists fired upon the dog. It’s due to his sacrifice that many lives have been saved,” the GoC said.

The officer also spoke about the use of BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles during the operation, saying, “During this operation, information was being spread that the Army has used BMP vehicles. There was hilly terrain with 30 degrees gradient and dense foliage. When we spotted terrorists, it was difficult for the troops to reach there without danger. Therefore, we used those vehicles to reach there.”

Security officials said the slain terrorists are believed to have infiltrated from across the LoC on Sunday night before appearing outside a temple and targeting the ambulance which was part of the army convoy.

“After a night-long lull, the security forces pushed for a final assault against the holed-up terrorists at around 7 am, leading to a fresh gunfight,” one of the officials said, adding that the security forces used RPG fire and BMP-2 infantry armoured vehicles in the operation.

BMP 2, an amphibious infantry armoured vehicle, has soldiers carrying capacity and is equipped with night vision technology.

The recoveries of war like stores from the slain terrorists clearly indicated that they were in for a long haul, said officials

“A rich haul of arms and ammunition that included one US made M4 carbine, two AK-47 assault rifles, over a dozen loaded magazines, hand grenades, besides life saving medicines including pain killers and dry fruits that included dates almonds and walnuts clearly indicate their nefarious plans to engage security forces for a longer period of time and go for a hostage like situation,” said a senior police official, who declined to be named.

“The recoveries also included army combat fatigues that clearly point towards their designs to mislead people and army personnel in a heavily militarised area,” he added.

Being close to the Line of Control, Khour, it may be stated here, has a large presence of various army units.

Army has also recovered solar panels, binoculars, cutters, a machete, a scissor, a digital wrist watch, two cigarette lighters, needles and thread rolls, nearly a dozen water bottles and three backpacks. However, the manufacturing labels from medicines and eatables were found deliberately removed to hide the identity of their origin.

Jammu district SSP Joginder Singh said, “[On Monday], three terrorists were spotted by the locals and the security forces were immediately mobilised. The area was cordoned and an encounter ensued on Monday in which one terrorist was neutralized. After sun set, a tight cordon remained in place and this morning two more terrorists were eliminated. There was no loss of life or injury on our side”.

Munawar Tawi in Khour area of Akhnoor sector has remained a traditional route of infiltration for Pakistani terrorists. Being close to the LoC, the area has heavy deployment of armed forces, officials said.

The gunfight had begun around 7 am on Monday when the three terrorists fired at an army ambulance in the Battal area.

Those privy to the operation details told HT that commandos of 9 Para, special forces, NSG and special operations group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police led the operations to flush out the remaining terrorists.

“This morning when security forces resumed their searches, there was a lull for about 45 minutes. However, a heavy gunfire erupted when hiding terrorists suddenly opened fire on the commandos,” an official said. In the retaliatory fire, security forces killed the remaining two terrorists.

Officials said the terrorists were suspected to be linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammad.

The latest encounter in the Jammu region comes amid a surge in terrorist activities in Kashmir, where seven attacks have occurred in the past two weeks, resulting in 13 fatalities, including two soldiers.