The encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag has entered its fifth day. Thousands of soldiers, including para-commandos, continue to participate in an incessant gunfight deep within the forested Gadole region of Kokernag. According to the most recent information, a fire broke out close to the terrorist base in Kokernag.
The terrorists are prolonging the confrontation by staying away from the forces. They are taking leverage of the treacherous terrain and forest cover to do the same. The area is also connected to the Pir Panjal mountain range. Security forces launched a huge attack on the terrorists on September 16 using mortar rounds, to flush out the terrorists who had killed the four security personnel.
Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, commander of the Northern Army also reached Ground Zero to assess the situation of the operation. He travelled to the scene of the gunfight and ground commanders briefed him on the high-intensity operation using cutting-edge surveillance and firepower delivery systems. The use of precise fire by the forces has greatly impacted the operation.
The implementation of modern technology, such as drones and helicopters, has been done during the operation to locate and eliminate the terrorists. The security forces have shot hundreds of mortar shells and rockets over the course of the last 100 hours.
Terrorists are reportedly trying to conserve their ammunition and are not firing consistently. Drones and helicopters have been used during the operation to provide surveillance in the dense woodland area of Gadole in the Kokernag region of south Kashmir. These innovative devices have proven crucial in navigating the steep terrain and identifying the terrorists’ hiding places within the forest.
A terrorist was seen scurrying for cover in the drone footage from September 15 after security troops shelled one of these hideouts.
The security forces are also being helped with quadcopters and drones in their effort to locate the terrorists who are holed up in the Kokernag area. “The forces fired mortar shells on the terrain where they believe the terrorists are hiding, based on drone surveillance,” an official informed. In addition to the challenging terrain, bad weather has also made it difficult for security forces to track the terrorists.
Four security personnel, including Colonel Manpreet Singh, Commanding Officer of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Company Commander Major Ashish Dhonchak, Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Muzamil Bhat, and a soldier were killed in action during the operation which began on 13 September.
They were a member of the group that attempted to use the sole accessible route to approach the terrorist base and were heavily fired upon.
The banned Resistance Front, a shadow group of Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the ghastly attack.
