Forces, terrorists exchange fire in Srinagar’s forest area

The gunfight between security forces and terrorists in a forest area of Srinagar on Sunday ended without any causality from either side.

Officials said security forces had launched a joint search in Ishbar Nishat area of Srinagar on the foothills of Zabarwan mountain range on Sunday morning triggering an exchange of fire with suspected terrorists.

“A joint police and security forces operation was launched in Zabarwan forest area of Srinagar based on specific intelligence about the presence of terrorists. An exchange of fire ensued during the operation,” Kashmir Police Zone said on ‘X’.

The encounter was the seventh in Kashmir this month. Eight militants have been killed, indicating a heightened security response after a series of militant attacks after the new elected government took oath in Jammu and Kashmir on October 16.

Army was also part of the operation when the forces had observed suspicious activity. “Suspicious activity was observed by vigilant troops and on being challenged terrorists opened indiscriminate fire. Our troops effectively retaliated. Operation is in progress,” the army’s Chinar Corps said in a post on ‘X’.

After the exchange of fire stopped, forces conducted searches in the forest area. “The searches are still continuing,” an official of Srinagar Police Control room said in the late afternoon.

Khanyar MLA Ali Mohammad Sagar, meanwhile, expressed concern over two back-to-back encounters in his constituency in Srinagar, saying, “Deeply concerned with the news of an ongoing encounter at Ishber-Nishat. It is the second such incident in less than a week in the constituency I represent. Prayers for everyone’s safety and hope that it ends with less collateral damage and casualties.”