- yesterday
A terrorist has been killed, and two others are believed to be trapped after an encounter broke out in Jammu-Kashmir's Kulgam district on Saturday morning as the forces rounded up the terrorists.
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00:00News that's coming in at the moment. There has been an encounter between the forces and the terrorists.
00:05News coming in from Jammu and Kashmir. One of the terrorists has been neutralized by the forces.
00:10Two terrorists have been trapped by the forces. Operation Akhal is underway in Kulgaon.
00:16News coming in, big news coming in in fact from Jammu and Kashmir.
00:20There is an encounter which is going on between the forces and terrorists.
00:24One terrorist has been neutralized so far by the forces. Two terrorists have been trapped by the forces.
00:30Operation Akhal, this is the name that has been given to this operation, is underway in Kulgaon.
00:37My colleague Meer Farid is now joining me on the story.
00:40Meer, we have seen how over the past few months the encounters have increased.
00:45The forces are now making sure across the valley that they neutralized all the terrorists as much as possible.
00:53That's right, Ishwarya. In fact, this particular operation started late last night.
00:59Again, an intel-driven operation.
01:02Our sources say that the intel grid of the security agencies noticed that there was an Ultraset.
01:08Now, Ultraset is a communication, encrypted communication device or model that is being used by Jash and Lashkar
01:14off late in the last couple of years in the forest areas and it was very difficult thus far to triangulate the location use or intercept the Ultraset communication.
01:23But now it seems the forces have managed to crack this and the last two operations, one in Dachigam, one here in Akhal is because they managed to get the signal, intercept the signal of the Ultraset.
01:36And then on the basis of which they have managed to triangulate the location of these Lashkar karda.
01:41Now, in this case, in the Akhal forest area of Kulgam, that's in South Kashmir, the forces launched an operation late last night.
01:49Joint forces, that's Army, Policia, PF and three Lashkar karda were believed to be trapped, all non-locals.
01:58And then the operation started. Now, we're getting reports. First light this morning, firing at resume.
02:04And one, a non-local karda of Lashkar has been gunned now. And two more, I believe, to be holed up in the area.
02:12Operations are continuing. Again, it is a tricky operation because it's a forest area we're talking of and it may still take some time.
02:20But yes, definitely, amp up as far as anti-terror activity of the security forces are concerned.
02:27One, a massive operation in Dachigam where the perpetrators of the Pailgam attack were neutralized.
02:34And now, another operation where it seems the Lashkar is once again the target.
02:39And the three non-locals were trapped, one neutralized and two more are still holed up.
02:44Ashwarya.
02:45Right, Mir, you know, you're also speaking about the fact that there are few more terrorists that the forces at the moment are very clearly looking at.
02:53If, Mir, you can also shed some light on the fact that, do you believe that the encounters have increased
02:59and the forces are making sure that they tighten the noose?
03:05Well, there has been a shift, Ashwarya, from military being in urban areas to completely relocating in forest areas.
03:14Now, this is a massive strategy shift as far as terror outfits are concerned, Lashkar and Jaish.
03:21Since local recruitments have come to almost a trickle zero, in fact, last one year has seen just one local joining the militant ranks in South Kashmir.
03:32So, to keep the port of militancy boiling, infiltration definitely has happened.
03:37And there are non-locals, at least our sources say, multi-agency inputs suggest that there are around 70 to 80 hardcore,
03:44very well-trained and armed non-local cadre of Lashkar and Jaish who are scattered in the forest area from Jammu to Kashmir,
03:51especially if you talk of the Kashtwar, Kokarnag, and then that forest area route comes deep into Srinagar.
03:58So, it's all connected to the forest and they're using camping in the forest areas.
04:03And in Jammu, we've seen that they have been causing casualties in the foothills and then going back into the forest area.
04:09So, forces since had basically gone for counter strategy and now, while these operations have, in fact, increased,
04:19but also the forces, camps, army camps are being established at strategic locations on those heights
04:25and efforts are on to choke the operational area of these outfits.
04:30So, it is a challenge.
04:32It could be a long-run process, but the forces, the security agencies have started
04:36and we've seen operations happening in the forest areas.
04:40One, in Dachigam, while it is very close to the built-up areas or habitations in the Dachigam area,
04:49Mulnar area, but then South Kashmir is a problem, the forest area is a problem.
04:54And there, again, now operations have started and as you rightly said,
04:58we could see that intensifying in the coming days.
05:02Back to you.
05:03May you please turn on with me.
05:04We've got some more news which is coming in from Jammu and Kashmir.