Kathua, Mar 28: Four police personnel lost their lives in an encounter with militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district. Two militants were also killed in the operation, while three to four others remain holed up in the area.
Five security personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police, sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a hospital.
The encounter follows five days of intensive search operations by multiple security forces, including the Army, National Security Guard, Border Security Force, Police, Special Operations Group, and Central Reserve Police Force.
The situation escalated on Sunday when an exchange of fire took place, and later on Tuesday, a local resident reported suspicious activity involving two men in army uniforms seeking water while having food in the area.
On Thursday, police forces engaged in close-quarters combat deep inside the forests, where they encountered heavily armed militants. During the intense gunfight, two militants were neutralized, but four policemen lost their lives before the militants were taken down. An official involved in the operation stated that retrieving the bodies of the fallen officers remains challenging due to the difficult terrain and the continued presence of armed militants. [KNT]
