Video Producer: Aparna Singh
Video Editor: Karuna Mishra
Two senior army officers and a J&K Police officer were martyred in an encounter with terrorists in Kashmir's Anantnag district on Wednesday, 13 September.
Specifically, the gunfight broke out during a search operation for the terrorists in the Garol area on Wednesday morning, according to a tweet by the Indian Army.
Loss of lives: While an Indian Army soldier is reportedly missing, the following security personnel were identified as the deceased in the joint operation:
Colonel Manpreet Singh, Commanding Officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles in Kokernag
Major Aashish Dhonchak
J&K Police Deputy Superintendent Himayun Muzamil Bhat
The three security personnel were critically injured in the gunfight and were reportedly airlifted to a Srinagar hospital where they succumbed to their wounds.
Of note: The Resistance Front, a terrorist organisation with ties to the Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba, has claimed responsibility for the attack, the report said.
Why it matters: The Anantnag encounter comes in the backdrop of a recent spike in militant activity in the Valley. A day earlier, another encounter took place at Rajouri in the Jammu region which claimed the lives of an Indian Army personnel as well as a female Labrador belonging to the army's dog unit. In August this year, three soldiers were killed when militants targeted a temporary army post in the forests of Kulgam.
Condolences pour in: "May their souls rest in peace & may their loved ones find strength at this difficult time," Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said.
“My deepest condolences to the families of those who were killed in the line of duty at Anantnag today. There is no place for such abominable acts of violence,” tweeted PDP chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
“The entire nation stands with their families in this hour of grief,” said J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Singh.
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