SRINAGAR, April 14 – A fresh encounter broke out in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district late Sunday evening as Indian security forces launched a major anti-militancy operation in the Pir Panjal valley, the Indian Army said on Monday.
The operation, jointly conducted by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police, was initiated in the Lasana area of Surankote in Poonch after contact was established with armed militants during a search operation.
“Additional troops have been inducted, and search operations are ongoing to prevent the terrorists from escaping,” an Army spokesperson said, adding that the exact number of militants hiding in the area is yet to be determined.
The latest operation comes amid heightened security concerns in the Jammu region, which has witnessed a surge in militant activity in recent weeks. In the past month alone, five militants and four police personnel have been killed in separate encounters.
The Pir Panjal valley, located along the volatile Line of Control (LoC) that divides Indian- and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, has long been a focal point for infiltration and insurgency-related incidents. Authorities have not yet confirmed casualties from the current operation, which remains ongoing as of Monday morning. The encounter marks another escalation in violence in the region, where militancy has persisted despite intensified counter-insurgency efforts by Indian forces.
