Poonch encounter: JCO among 2 Army personnel killed

Ground Report | New Delhi: Poonch encounter; A junior commissioned officer and a soldier were killed in a fierce encounter between militants and army personnel in the Mendhar area of ​​the Poonch district of Jammu late on Thursday night.

Poonch encounter

An official said that in the backdrop of the ongoing anti-militancy operation in the Dehra Ki Gali forest area on the border of Rajouri and Poonch, security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Bhata Dhurian forest of Mendhar, which is adjacent to the border of Dehra. Is. Gully Forest Ridge on Thursday.

“During the search, contact was established between the Army team and the terrorists, which resulted in a fierce exchange of fire,” officials said, adding that an Army JCO and a soldier were injured, who were taken to a nearby hospital. , where both of them died.

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"The operation is on in the area and the entire area has been cordoned off," officials said. On the other hand, the anti-militancy operation launched in Dehra Ki Gali Jungle entered the fourth consecutive day on Thursday.

As the encounter is still on, vehicular traffic has been suspended between Bhimber Gali and Surankote along the Rajouri-Poonch National Highway. More forces have been sent to the area.

Officials had earlier said that the militant, whose number is believed to be around four-five, could be part of a group that infiltrated the Union Territory from across the Line of Control in August and was going to Shopian. They were stopped by police and security forces in the Pangai area of Rajouri district along Mughal Road. Two terrorists were killed on 6 August, while another was gunned down on 19 August.

Jammu & Kashmir | One JCO and one soldier have lost their lives in a counter-terrorist operation in Mendhar sub-division of the Poonch district: Indian Army officials

— ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2021

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Rajouri-Poonch range Vivek Gupta told reporters that the terrorists have been confined to a specific area. "The group is present in the area for two to three months," he said. Several anti-militancy operations and encounters have taken place this year in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch.

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Timeline

• On October 12, five Army personnel, including a JCO, were martyred during an encounter between security forces and terrorists at Dera Ki Gali (DKG) in Poonch's Surankote area.

• On 12 September, an unidentified terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces following a search operation in the upper reaches of Manjakot in Rajouri.

• On August 19, a JCO was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Thanamandi area of ​​Rajouri.

• On August 6, two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Thanamandi belt.

As the encounter is still on, vehicular traffic has been suspended between Bhimber Gali and Surankote along the Rajouri-Poonch National Highway. Additional security forces have been sent to the area.

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