Srinagar: A junior commissioned officer (JCO) and a soldier who were injured in an ongoing encounter that broke out on Monday (September 8) in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district have succumbed.

An unidentified militant was also killed, while another soldier suffered injuries in the initial exchange of gunfire between a group of militants and a joint team of the army, the Jammu and Kashmir police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

The joint team had launched a search operation following “specific inputs” about the presence of militants in the Guddar forest of Kulgam district.

“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 army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps spokesperson said.

The army has not revealed the identity of the slain JCO so far. Two more army soldiers were also injured in the encounter, of whom one has succumbed while the second is undergoing treatment.

A photo, purportedly from the site of the encounter, showed the deceased militant, lying sideways in a slightly crouched position, inside a lush fruit orchard whose trees are heavily laden with red apples. The suspect’s head is turned to the left, making his face visible, while an assault rifle is slung across his shoulder. The Wire could not immediately verify the authenticity of the photo.

Following the exchange of fire, more troops were rushed to the area to prevent other accomplices of the dead militant from escaping.

Frequent attacks

The south Kashmir district of Kulgam, which falls along the volatile Pir Panjal range of mountains, was the site of one of the longest encounters between security forces and militants in Kashmir in recent times which continued for 10 days in early August.

Security agencies believed that a group of heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists had taken refuge in Akhal forest of Kulgam, where the encounter broke out last month. The terrorists later managed to break the cordon and disappeared into the woods.

One suspected local militant and at least two army soldiers were killed in the encounter.

At least 13 members of various security forces and 28 civilians have been killed in 29 incidents of militancy-related violence in Jammu and Kashmir this year in which 38 militants were also gunned down, according to South Asia Terrorism Portal.

Since 2021, security forces have faced some of the deadliest attacks by heavily-armed and well-trained militants who emerge and later disappear into the woods of the Pir Panjal mountains which fall along the Line of Control. Due to the treacherous terrain and dense forest cover, security forces have struggled to hunt down the perpetrators on most occasions.

Following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam earlier this year, authorities closed several tourist and trekking destinations in the Pir Panjal range of Kashmir valley such as Yusmarg and Doodhpathri. Massive search operations have been launched in their higher reaches for suspected militants who are believed to have taken refuge in the networks of natural caves and thick canopy of vegetation there.

The closure of these destinations has put the livelihoods of thousands of hoteliers, their staff, horse attenders, tourist operators and small traders into disarray, with the J&K administration yet to say when these services will resume for locals and tourists.

This article was updated with information of the two soldiers' death.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.