Akhal encounter enters ninth day: What's happening in Jammu and Kashmir's forest?
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Akhal encounter enters ninth day: What's happening in Jammu and Kashmir's forest?")
Operation continues in Akhal Devsar area of Kulgam district for the ninth consecutive day. Photograph: (ANI)
Akhal encounter: Over the past nine days, 10 soldiers have sustained injuries during the gun battle, one of the longest-ever.
Two Indian Army soldiers died in the line of duty in a marathon combat with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district. The encounter entered its ninth day on Saturday. The army said in a post on X that the two bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice fighting well-entrenched terrorists were L/Nk Pritpal Singh and Sep Harminder Singh.
Over the past nine days, 10 soldiers have sustained injuries during the gun battle, one of the longest-ever. Hundreds of soldiers are engaged in the encounter. The forces are also using drones and attack helicopters to weed out the terrorists who appear to be well-trained in jungle warfare.
The security forces are also dropping explosives from drones in the forested areas of Akhal.
The encounter began last Friday after the security forces received a tip-off about the presence of terrorists in Akhal. One terrorist was killed on Friday itself.
There were reportedly five terrorists hiding in the forest at the start of the operation.
The mountain range currently cordoned off connects the Pir Panjal range.
Trending Stories
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
Here are some of the major encounters that took place in Jammu and Kashmir over the past few years.
1. Kokernag Encounter: The week-long encounter in the Gadol forests in Anantnag district ended on 19 September, where the Resistance Front commander Uzair Khan was killed along with at least two senior Indian Army officers and a J&K Police officer. After losing 4 security forces personnel on the first day, Indian security forces were finally able to clear the terrorist hideout on the 7th day of the operation, as the dense jungles and rough terrain of the area provided cover to the terrorists.
2. EDI Encounter, Pampore: On 20 February 2016, four Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists, armed with AK-47 Assault rifles, UBGL, hand grenades, and explosives, attacked a CRPF convoy on the main road linking Srinagar to Jammu, killing two CRPF personnel and a civilian. The terrorists then took refuge in the government-run multi-story building hosting the "Entrepreneurship Development Institute" in Pampore. For the security forces, their main focus was to safely evacuate the civilians stuck in the building. Units of the Indian Army and Central Reserve Police Force cordoned off the building and launched a joint operation, in which they used armored vehicles to evacuate 120 civilians from the building. During the ongoing evacuation, the terrorists attacked with automatic gunfire and hand grenades. During the ensuing battle, three personnel from the Indian Army lost their lives.
3. Pathankot attack: On January 2, 2016, four terrorists belonging to the United Jihad Council attacked the Indian Air Force's Pathankot Airbase, part of its Western Air Command. Four terrorists and two security forces personnel were killed in the initial battle, with an additional security force member dying from injuries hours later. The gun battle and the subsequent combing operation lasted about 17 hours, resulting in five terrorists and three security personnel dead.
4. Uri brigade attack: The 2016 Uri attack was carried out on 18 September 2016 by four terrorists from Jaish-e-Mohammed against an Indian Army brigade headquarters near the town of Uri in the Indian Jammu and Kashmir. 19 Indian soldiers were killed in the attack, and 19–30 others were injured.