SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir police have announced the conclusion of a week-long operation in Gadool, Kokernag, within the southern district of Anantnag, resulting in the elimination of top Lashkar-e-Toiba Commander Uzair Khan. Additionally, the lifeless body of another individual was discovered near the site of the gunfight.
Assistant Director General of Police (ADGP) Kumar, while speaking to reporters revealed that Uzair Khan, responsible for the killings of an army Colonel, Major, and a Deputy Superintendent of Police on the first day of the operation, had been killed, and his body had been recovered. The identity of the second deceased individual, believed to be a foreign militant, will be confirmed once the body is retrieved.
While asked about the status of the operation, ADGP Kumar explained that the search operation would continue for some time. He issued a warning to local residents, advising them not to approach the encounter site due to potential unexploded grenades or shells that could pose a danger.
Regarding the casualties among security forces, ADGP Kumar reported, “Three officers, two from the army and one from the police, along with a soldier, lost their lives during the encounter.”
He also noted that a broader search operation in the area is ongoing, and it is possible that the body of a third militant may be discovered. The initial day of the gunfight claimed the lives of Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Aashish Dhonchak, and DySP Humayun Bhat.
An official familiar with the operation confirmed that the search operation is continuing in the area and will persist until it is fully cleared. The deployment of para-commandos and an additional 20 companies of security forces in the area is aimed at closely monitoring militant movements.
“During the joint security operation, we employed grenade launchers and shells on terrorist hideout locations using drones,” the official added.
Official sources revealed that there are currently 81 militants active in the Kashmir division, with 33 being locals and the rest being non-locals. Throughout the operation, injuries were sustained by two soldiers, who were subsequently hospitalised for treatment. The body of a soldier who had been missing since the initial gunfight was found at the encounter site.
This extensive operation involved a thorough plan by security forces to track down the militants in the challenging terrain of Gadool, as previously explained by DGP Dilbagh Singh. Notably, northern army commander Lt General Upendra Dwivedi visited the site and reviewed the operation. The security forces employed cutting-edge equipment, including Heron, Hexacopter, drones, quad-copters, RPGs, grenades, and drone-fitted firearms, in their mission to eliminate the militants.
This operation marks one of the most significant security operations in Kashmir, spanning seven days.
The Kokernag encounter is the largest such operation in south Kashmir since August 5 this year when three soldiers from the Army’s 34 RR were killed in the Halan Manzgam forest area of Kulgam district. On March 30, 2020, an 18-hour-long encounter in north Kashmir’s Handwara resulted in the deaths of five security personnel, including a Colonel, a Major, and a Sub-Inspector.
This recent operation in Anantnag is the first encounter in the district in nearly four months, following the establishment of contact with militants in the Sagam area of Kokernag in May, although they managed to evade capture.
In 2023, a total of 51 militants have been eliminated in Jammu and Kashmir, with 41 being foreigners and 10 being locals. Additionally, approximately 20 security personnel have lost their lives in militant attacks and encounters this year.
