Encounter in J-K's Rajouri enters second day; people advised to stay away

An encounter between terrorists and security forces in a village in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district entered the second day on Sunday, with police advising people to stay at a distance of two kilometres for their safety.

Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said two to three terrorists are believed to be holed up in the besieged village and their repeated attempts to break the cordon has been thwarted by controlled fire throughout the night.

An unidentified terrorist was killed on Saturday in the initial exchange of fire with the security forces during a cordon-and-search operation launched by police and the Army at Gundha-Khawas village in Budhal area.

A police official said a gunfight between the two sides was on when last reports were received.

Reinforcements of the security forces have plugged all escape routes for the terrorists and efforts are on to neutralise them, the official said.

He said the search operation was launched after police received information about the movement of terrorists in the area.

A small police team launched the operation and was later joined by reinforcements from the Army and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the official said, adding the body of the slain terrorist was yet to be retrieved from the scene of the encounter.

After initial contact, Army troops moved to the area and pinned down terrorists assessed to be up to two-three. Additional troops of the Rashtriya Rifles mobilised as terrain is undulating and forested, Lt Col Bartwal said.

He said special forces were brought in by Indian Air Force helicopter, while night enabled Quadcopters, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and sniffer dogs were also pressed into service.

Police in Rajouri issued an advisory on Sunday, asking people to stay away from the encounter scene to avoid any casualty.

"It is for the information of all that the operation is in progress with exchange of crossfire in the general area of village Gundha, Khawas. People are advised not to visit the area and remain at a safe distance of at least two km outside the periphery of the area," the advisory reads.