Bodies of three policemen recovered as encounter in Jammu & Kashmir's Kathua enters second day

Jammu: The bodies of three of the four Jammu and Kashmir policemen killed in an encounter with terrorists of banned Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed were recovered on Friday as fierce gunfight between security forces and terrorists entered its second day in the remote forested region of Jammu's Kathua, officials said here.

However, the service weapons of the deceased personnel still remain unaccounted for, they added.

The operation, centred near the Jakhole village in the Ghati Juthana area of Rajbagh, began on Thursday morning following intensified police operations against recently infiltrated terrorists from across the International Border in the Hiranagar sector.

The encounter has resulted in the deaths of four policemen and three Jaish terrorists while another seven security personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), have sustained injuries.

The body of the fourth police personnel, who was reported missing on Thursday evening, was located this morning by search parties with the help of drones, but the retrieval efforts have not succeeded so far as two terrorists are still holed up at a height and firing at the search teams, the officials said.

Heavy gunfire, along with the sounds of explosions, continued for the second day as police, supported by the Army and the CRPF, advanced through the difficult hilly terrain after a night's halt.

It was not immediately clear whether it was the same group that had been evading an earlier cordon in the Sanyal forest of Hiranagar or another batch of infiltrated terrorists.

The retrieved bodies of the policemen—Balwinder Singh Chib, Jaswant Singh, and Tariq Ahmed—were recovered after a day of search efforts. However, the service weapons of the slain personnel were not found nearby, and officials said it was premature to say that the weapons were taken away by the terrorists.

The bodies were received by Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat at the medical college where their postmortem was conducted before the ceremonial wreath-laying ceremony at district police lines, Kathua, the officials said.

They were personal security officers of the sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) who was leading the search party and came under heavy firing by terrorists when the encounter broke out, trapped them near the scene of the gunfight, adjacent to a rivulet concealed by dense foliage.

However, the SDPO -- a DSP rank officer -- was evacuated in an injured condition from the scene late Thursday evening.

Besides the SDPO, three more policemen were admitted to Kathua hospital and their condition was stated to be stable. Two Army personnel were also injured in the operation.

Earlier, a group of terrorists was intercepted on Sunday evening within a 'dhok', a local term for an enclosure in a nursery, in the Sanyal village near the International Border with Pakistan in the Hiranagar sector.

A subsequent search operation, involving police, Army, NSG, BSF and CRPF, utilised advanced technical and surveillance equipment to track down and neutralise the terrorists.

Despite the massive search operation, the terrorists managed to escape the initial cordon, the officials said, adding it is assumed that the same group could have been possibly spotted near Jakhole, approximately 30 km from the initial encounter site.

The search teams discovered evidence on Monday, including four loaded magazines of M4 carbine, two grenades, a bulletproof jacket, sleeping bags, tracksuits, food packets, and materials for assembling improvised explosive devices (IEDs) near the Hiranagar encounter site.

The terrorists were moving through the forest area towards the Billawar side when a police party headed by the SDPO moved in after getting specific information but came under heavy firing, resulting in the day-long gunfight.

Reinforcements from police, Army, and CRPF were immediately deployed to the area, while the special forces of the Army were also airdropped to neutralise the terrorists.

Police believe the terrorists infiltrated on Saturday, possibly via a ravine route or a newly constructed tunnel from across the border.

The police chief and Inspector General of Police (Jammu Zone) Bhim Sen Tuti have been overseeing the anti-terrorist operation from Kathua for the past four days, the officials said.

The People's Anti-Fascist Front, a shadow outfit of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), has claimed involvement in the encounter.

Army's rising star corps, whose troops are involved in the operation, lauded the police personnel involved in the operation.

"Rising Star Corps salutes the valour and indomitable spirit of the brave (J-K) Police personnel who made the supreme sacrifice fighting valiantly during the ongoing OP (operation) Safiyan in Kathua. Their courage and dedication will always be remembered," the Army said in a post on X.