Death toll climbs to 8 in twin Kulgam encounters; five militants neutralized

The death toll in twin encounters in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir climbed to eight on July 7 as two more bodies of terrorists have been recovered by the security forces.

The dual anti-terror operations happened on July 6 afternoon in the Mudergham and Frisal Chinnigam areas, targeting members of the Hizbul Mujahideen.

The Indian Army, in coordination with the Police and CRPF, initiated these operations based on specific intelligence about the presence of militants.

During the initial clash with militants in Modergam village, a soldier sustained injuries and was quickly taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

The fallen soldier has been identified as para commando Lance Naik Pradeep Nain.

In the same encounter, another army personnel, Havaldar Raj Kumar of 1 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), also lost his life.

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vidhi Kumar Birdi, confirmed that five militants were killed in Frisal Chinnigam.

He told reporters, “Five terrorists have been killed in Frisal Chinnigam and bodies have been sighted. We did not retrieve bodies because of heavy gunfire from the other side that is being retaliated effectively.”

“Once the operations are completed, we will ascertain the identification,” he added. He also described the operations as significant.

However, retrieving their bodies has been delayed due to heavy ongoing gunfire.

Chinar Corps of the Indian Army said that the operations were launched following detailed intelligence inputs.

The first encounter started in Modergam, with security forces establishing a cordon around the suspected area. Shortly after, another confrontation erupted in Frisal Chinnigam, resulting in the deaths of five militants.

Kashmir Zone Police shared updates on social media, confirming the commencement of both operations and ongoing efforts by security forces.

The operations are expected to take time to complete, with identification of the militants to follow once the situation stabilizes.

Previous incidents in the region underscore the persistent threat posed by militant groups.

On May 8, two militants, including Basit Dar of The Resistance Front (TRF), were killed in Kulgam.

Dar was involved in numerous attacks on police and civilians and was on the "most wanted" list with a bounty of Rs 10 lakh.

Similarly, on June 3, two militants from Pulwama's Kakapora village were killed in an encounter with security forces.

The latest operations in Kulgam highlight the ongoing efforts by security forces to combat militant activity in the region, as they continue to work on intelligence-based operations to neutralize threats.