Search continues in Kokernag

Srinagar, Aug 13: The search operation to locate terrorists responsible for the recent killing of two soldiers in the dense forests of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district continued on Tuesday.

Officials said the Army, Police, and paramilitary CRPF are combing the treacherous terrain to track down the terrorists who engaged in a deadly encounter over the weekend.

The operation, launched after terrorists attacked security forces in the Ahlan Gadole area of Kokernag on Saturday, extended into its fourth day.

The encounter, which took place in the mountainous forests at an altitude of 10,000 feet, resulted in the killing of two Indian Army soldiers - Havaldar Deepak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Praveen Sharma.

A civilian, Abdul Rashid Dar, who was injured during the crossfire, succumbed to his injuries on Sunday.

“The search operation in Anantnag is still underway and has not yet reached its logical conclusion,” IGP Kashmir Vidhi Kumar Birdi told reporters here. “Security forces are conducting the operation based on the available information and are vigilantly proceeding with the searches.”

He said that the terrorists were trying to create an unpleasant situation.

“The security setup is being metered or toned up, keeping in view the adversaries' plans,” the IGP Kashmir said.

The terrorists believed to be a group of three to four foreign terrorists, have managed to evade capture since Saturday evening, with no direct contact reported since then.

The rugged and densely forested area has posed significant challenges to the operation, prompting security forces to extend their search parameters.