Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Sep 04
Security forces killed a militant in a gunfight in Ashdar Gali in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, the Indian Army said on Friday.
The operation was launched jointly by the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force following intelligence inputs about militant movement in the area.
The Army’s Chinar Corps said troops challenged suspicious movement and militants opened fire, triggering a gunfight in which one militant was killed. An AK rifle and other war-like stores were recovered, it said.
The identity of the slain militant was not immediately known.
Additional forces were deployed in the area, and a search operation was continuing, officials said.
The operation began on Thursday evening after security agencies received intelligence about militant movement, officials said.
Ashdar Gali is a remote, forested mountain pass in the Pir Panjal range linking the Pakherpora area of Pulwama with Yousmarg in Budgam. Its rugged terrain and dense forests make security operations difficult.
The encounter follows a prolonged lull in major armed clashes in Kashmir. The last major gunfight was reported in Shopian in July.
The operation also comes amid increased security activity in the Pir Panjal belt. On Aug. 19, Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, accompanied by senior police officers, conducted an operational review of temporary operating bases on the northern face of the range, including the Todasmaidan sector.
