Two soldiers, 2 terrorists killed in encounter in Jammu & Kashmir's Kulgam

Srinagar: Two soldiers and two militants were killed in an encounter that broke out during an anti-terror operation in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Monday, officials said.

The gunfight erupted in the forest area of Gudar after Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and paramilitary CRPF launched a joint search operation based on ‘specific intelligence inputs’ about the terrorist movement.

Officials said that two terrorists were eliminated in the encounter, while three soldiers, including a junior commissioned officer, suffered injuries. The injured soldiers were immediately evacuated to the Army’s 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar, where two succumbed to injuries, reports said.

Earlier, Army’s Chinar Corps said in a post on X: “Vigilant troops observed suspicious activity and upon being challenged, terrorists opened fire, prompting a fierce exchange of gunfire during which one terrorist has been eliminated and a junior commissioned officer suffered injuries."

The identity of the slain militants is yet to be established, but security officials said they are believed to be foreigners. Police said the search operation is continuing in the area to ensure no other militants are hiding in the forest terrain.

The encounter comes at a time when security agencies have intensified counter-insurgency operations in south Kashmir following intelligence reports of fresh infiltration of foreign militants from across the Line of Control (LoC). Over the past few months, Kulgam and adjoining districts have witnessed multiple gunfights in which several terrorists have been killed.

Officials said militant recruitment among local youth has declined sharply over the last two years, forcing Pakistan-based handlers to push in more foreign fighters to keep the insurgency alive.