3 terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in J&K’s Doda district

The slain terrorists were believed to be involved in an attack on police and security forces at Kota Top in Gandoh on June 11, wounding five soldiers and a special police officer SPO.

Srinagar: Three terrorists were killed in a fierce encounter with security forces in Gandoh area of hilly Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

The terrorists were believed to have been involved in an attack on police and security forces at Kota Top in Gandoh on June 11, which injured five soldiers and a special police officer (SPO). A large cache of arms and ammunition, including a US-made M4 carbine, was recovered from the encounter site.

The confrontation began when a joint team of police and Army launched a cordon-and-search operation (CASO) in the Sinoo area of Gandoh, based on specific intelligence. As the team approached the suspected location, the militants opened fire, leading to a gunfight.

In a post on X, the Army’s 16 Corps stated, “Op Lagor. After an intense firefight, three hardcore terrorists have been neutralized in a joint operation of #IndianArmy and #JKP. A large cache of warlike stores, including automatic assault rifles, has been recovered. Operation is currently in progress.”

Helicopters were deployed to drop para-commandos into the area due to the difficult terrain and dense forests. Additional reinforcements were brought in from Udhampur to support the operation, reports said.

This successful operation came shortly after J&K police chief RR Swain announced that the police were prepared to confront foreign terrorists in the Jammu region, ready to fire the first bullet and accept some losses. He also stated that foreign terrorists would be eradicated from the Jammu region within the next three months with the support of Central forces and local residents.