Terror plot foiled as security forces destroy IED in Rajouri

A soldier was killed on Saturday after a joint team of security forces came under fire from militants during an operation in south Kashmir.

The brief gunfight erupted between a joint team of Army’s 19 Rashtriya Rifles, police, and CRPF, when it launched a cordon-and-search operation on a specific input about the presence of militants at Watnar village of Kokernag in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

“Encounter has started at Watnar, Kokernag. The police and security forces are on the job,” a police spokesperson said. Another police official said in the initial gunfight an Army soldier was wounded and immediately shifted to a nearby sub-district hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.

The slain soldier has been identified as Lance Naik Nasheen. He had received multiple bullet injuries.

Even as sources said militants, who were believed to be two in number, managed to escape from the spot, police said the gunfight was underway and more reinforcement was being rushed to the spot.

Meanwhile, in Jammu, security forces detected and destroyed an improvised explosive device planted alongside the Rajouri-Gurdan road early on Saturday, thus foiling a terrorist plot, the police said.

According to a police spokesperson, information was received about some suspicious movement in Gurdan Chawa village on Rajouri-Gurdan road the previous night. Joint teams of the police and Army personnel launched a cordon-and-search operation and found a suspicious object lying on the roadside, he said.

On inspection, the object turned out to be an IED. The bomb squad of the police later took it in their possession and destroyed it following standard operating procedure. The police have registered a case and further investigation was underway, the spokesperson said. (With PTI inputs)

Militants flee

Sources said militants, who were believed to be two in number, managed to escape from Watnar village of Kokernag in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, where security forces were carrying out a cordon-and-search operation.

Courtesy: The Tribune India: 16th April , 2022