Jammu, April 29
Thirteen top Pakistani terrorists and six personnel of Rashtriya Rifles were killed in an encounter today at Barth Nullah, near Doda, official sources said.
Personnel of 10th Rashtriya Rifles (RR) had cordoned off the hamlet last night on receiving information about the presence of these hardcore militants there and the encounter started around midnight. By this afternoon, the RR jawans killed 13 ultras who had taken shelter in houses of residents of the area.
Two other RR jawans and a police constable were critically injured.
Rashtriya Rifles, accompanied by the local police, had launched search operations in the area following reports that leaders of various militant outfits were holding a meeting there to make coordinated attacks on the security forces and civilians.
The soldiers asked the militants hiding in the dense woods to surrender, but they fired rifle grenades and opened heavy fire on the troops.
The troops returned the fire and in the ensuing gunbattle, in which militants fired a few rockets targeting army patrol parties, 13 ultras and six security personnel were killed.
Twelve AK rifles, three pistols, 21 magazines, a UBG launcher, three radio sets, 17 grenades, a rocket launcher, a night vision device, six IEDs and some maps were seized from the slain ultras, the sources said.
They said the operation was still on, adding that as per initial reports, the slain militants belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammad, Hizbul Mujahideen Pir Panjal Regiment, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Al-Badr and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen outfits.
The SP, Doda, had rushed to the scene of the encounter along with reinforcements.
The Army personnel killed have been identified as Naik Man Singh, sepoys Dinesh, Anirudh Pratap, Devinder Pratap, Ajay Manhas and Bharat Singh.
Two Army personnel, Raghubir and Jagat, and a police constable, Devinder Pal Singh, were injured. They were admitted to the nearby Army hospital.
This is the first major anti-militant operation in the area after the security forces killed 17 ultras in Poonch district a few days ago. Reports indicate that militants were entrenched in the Doda district and planning to unite various outfits to carry out their operations at different places in the state.
SRINAGAR: Troops foiled an attempt by two suicide bombers to storm a security force camp at Drugmulla in north Kashmir on Tuesday, killing both of them.
Official sources said when the two “fidayeen” were challenged by guards near the security force camp, they hurled grenades and opened fire But the guards retaliated and killed the militants.
