Forces engaged in 100-hour jungle warfare with terrorists in Kashmir

Srinagar: An ongoing encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag has extended to the fifth day, with thousands of troops, including para commandos, locked in a protracted gunfight deep within the dense forests of Gadol.

Trained in jungle warfare, the terrorists are utilising the challenging terrain and forest cover to evade the forces and prolong the confrontation.

The engagement, now spanning over 100 hours, commenced on Wednesday and has resulted in the deaths of three officers, including two from the Army and one policeman, in the pursuit to neutralise the terrorists.

The heavily armed terrorists, estimated to be two to three in number, are concealed in a strategically advantageous position within the dense and steep forest. This indicates a new tactic employed by the terrorists to challenge the security apparatus in Kashmir.

Over the course of these 100 hours, the troops have fired numerous mortar shells and rockets, employed advanced equipment to target suspected terrorist hideouts, and deployed drones to drop explosives.

Intermittent loud explosions and intense gunfire reverberate through the alpine forests.

Lt General Upendra Dwivedi, the Northern Command chief of the Army, visited the encounter site on Saturday and was briefed on how troops are utilising advanced equipment, including drones and firepower, against the terrorists, reported NDTV.

The joint operation by the Army and police commenced Tuesday night based on intelligence input, followed by an attempt to approach the terrorist hideout the next day. The terrorists, seemingly anticipating the action, opened fire on the forces, leaving them trapped between the dense forests and a hill on one side and a deep ditch on the other.

Leading from the front, two Army officers, Colonel Manpreet Singh and Major Ashish Dhonchak, and Deputy Superintendent of Police Himayun Bhat, were killed in action. Two more soldiers were injured, and another is believed to be missing.

Subsequently, heavy firing from the terrorist side made it challenging to evacuate the injured and those killed in action.

The Army's assault and climbing team has positioned itself in the towering and dense forest, launching an unrelenting offensive on the target hideouts. However, there is no clarity regarding whether any of the terrorists have been neutralised.

Amidst heavy shelling, a portion of the forest caught fire, but the flames were quickly extinguished by unexpected rainfall.

The terrorists appear to be trained in jungle and high-altitude warfare and are prepared for a prolonged standoff. It may have taken a considerable amount of time to establish logistics in such treacherous terrain. Dealing with this type of terrorism is exceedingly challenging.

While security forces deployed in towns and villages across the region have been successful in dismantling terrorist support structures to a great extent, terrorism in alpine forests could undermine the gains made in recent years. A similar pattern is observed in terrorist activities in the Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu province.

In May, ten soldiers, including five paratroopers, were killed in twin attacks by terrorists. Despite a massive counterterrorist operation, none of the attackers could be tracked down in the dense forests of Pirpanjal. In October 2021, the army engaged in one of the longest anti-terror operations in the Poonch-Rajouri forests after nine army soldiers were killed in twin attacks.