A gunfight erupted between hiding militants and the security forces on Friday, May 5, 2023 morning in the Pir Panjal valley’s Rajouri district in the Jammu division, 15 days after five soldiers died in a militant attack in the region.
Initial reports suggested that the security forces established a contact and exchanged fire around 8 a.m. in Kesari area of Rajouri’s Kandi hamlet. Security forces suspect two to three militants could be hiding in the area.
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Official sources said the area, where the militants were spotted, is being sealed with multi-layer cordon. “The operation is likely to take time given the topography of the area,” the officials said.
The Banyari hills, where Kesari area is situated, has thick forests and deep gorges in its vicinity. In the past two years, Kotrana, a sub-division of Rajouri district, has witnessed heightened militancy.
Five soldiers were killed in an ambush of militants on April 20 near Tota Gali area of the Bhata Dhurian–Bhimber Ghati Sector of Poonch. Multiple search operations have been launched deep into the hills since the attack. Around 100 locals were questioned and scores detained to trace the tracks of the attackers.
Earlier, on January 1, seven civilians died after militants attacked a village of a particular community in Rajouri’s Dhangri area.
Meanwhile, J&K has witnessed a sudden spurt in encounters in the past three days. Four militants, two in Kupwara and two in Baramulla in north Kashmir, died in two separate gunfights. The spurt comes weeks ahead of the high-profile G20 meeting in Srinagar where foreign delegates will participate in a working group meeting on tourism from May 22.
