An ongoing encounter in Anantnag district has resulted in the tragic loss of fourth security personnel since Wednesday, as reported by India Today. The operation, which continues to unfold, has seen the cordoning off of the area and the deployment of a rigorous search operation, according to official sources.
The confrontation erupted following a gunfight between security forces and militants who were concealed in the Kokernag area of Anantnag on Wednesday. Among the casualties were an Army Rashtriya Rifles unit Commanding Officer (Colonel), a Company Commander (Major), and a Jammu and Kashmir Police Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP). The names of the fallen heroes have been identified as Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchack, and DSP Humayun Bhat, while the identity of the fourth soldier, who succumbed to injuries on Friday, remains undisclosed.
The mortal remains of Colonel Manpreet Singh and Major Ashish Dhonchack were transported to their homes in Panipat on Friday morning. DSP Humayun Bhat received a respectful farewell in his hometown of Budgam on Thursday, following the Indian Army’s airlifting of their bodies to Srinagar. A solemn tribute was paid to their mortal remains on Thursday evening.
Authorities disclosed that the army had led the operation based on specific intelligence, targeting militants in a concealed location when the fatal exchange of gunfire occurred. The militants initiated the clash, resulting in the instant demise of Colonel Manpreet Singh and the injury of two other officials who later succumbed to their injuries at a hospital in Srinagar.
The suspected militants are believed to be associated with “The Resistance Front,” considered a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba. Security forces maintain their suspicion that two to three militants are still hiding in the area. To aid in surveillance and the search operation, heron drones and quadcopters have been deployed, officials confirmed.
In response to the tragic loss of the four security personnel, anti-Pakistan protests erupted on Thursday in various parts of the Jammu, Kashmir and Chenab Valley. Organizations such as Panun Kashmir and the Eik Sanatam Bharat Dal (ESBD) paid their respects to the fallen personnel and demanded a concerted effort against the terror infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
