Kishtwar: A terrorist has been neutralised in an ongoing fierce firefight with security forces in the Chatroo forest area of Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday morning. He is among the 2-3 terrorists that security forces have been after for the last few weeks.
There is evidence of other terrorists being present in the area and additional troops have been rushed in. The cordon has been secured and all exit points have been sealed, as reported by PTI.
The gunbattle began after security forces launched a cordon and search operation on receiving information of suspicious movement in that part of the forest. The terrorists opened
fire on the soldiers and policemen, who retaliated.
The three heavily armed terrorists are believed to be from the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Pakistani terrorist Saifullah, a Jaish commander, is suspected to be among them.
Saifullah is known to have shaved off his beard to evade detection. There are also reports that he shaved off his hair and mingled with the local population as a holy man. The Doda Police recently released a poster with his photographs, both with a beard and without one.
Over the last 15 days, security forces came across several camps, with rations and gas cylinders, used by the terrorists as they moved through the forested area. One of these camps was located at an altitude of 12,000 feet.
The Army Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF are participating in the operation. Drones and sniffer dogs have been brought in to locate the remaining terrorists.
Sources have claimed that the terrorists have been trapped and it is only a matter of time before they are neutralised.