Encounter Breaks Out In J&K's Sopore, Searches On, Area Cordoned Off

An encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore. The forces have cordoned off the Watergam area of Sopore and a search is on, the Kashmir Zone police said.

More details are awaited.

Earlier this week, an encounter broke out in the Union Territory's Udhampar region where a paramilitary officer from CRPF was killed in action after the terrorists fired upon a patrol party. Inspector Kuldeep Kumar from 187 Batallion of CRPF suffered gunshot wounds in the attack. 

Rise In Terror Attacks In Jammu And Kashmir

There has been a spurt of terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir. On August 14, an army officer, Captain Deepak Singh, was killed in action after an encounter broke out in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda. A civilian was also injured in the incident. The officer suffered gunshot wounds in a forested area during a cordon-and-search operation in the Shivgarh-Assar belt.

Earlier this month, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a high-level meeting over rising terror attacks in the Union Territory after back-to-back encounters and ambushes took place. The meeting was held at the South Block in Delhi, with NSA Ajit Doval and Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi. 

On August 10, two soldiers and a civilian were killed during a gunfight between terrorists and security forces in Anantnag. The region has witnessed attacks on an army convoy in Kathua, skirmishes in Doda and Udhampur, and a failed attack by the Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district's Machchal sector.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), 28 people, including civilians and security personnel, were killed in 11 terror-related incidents and 24 counter-terror operations up to July 21 this year. 

Action Plan

 The government, while maintaining a focus on securing the Kashmir Valley, has also recognised the need to bolster security in the Jammu region. This has resulted in the mobilisation of additional forces for deployment in key areas.

One of the primary objectives of the government's new security strategy is to plug infiltration routes used by terrorists to enter Jammu and Kashmir.

Security audits conducted by various agencies identified about two dozen sectors along the Line of Control (LOC) in the valley and the international border in the Jammu sector. Terrorists often take help from local guides to cross over. 

The terrorists are equipped with sophisticated weapons like the American-made M4 assault ride with an infrared thermal sight and are trained in jungle warfare. Terrorists infiltrate by foot and the government has initiated a project to fence the borders however the progress has been slow with only 70 kilometres being covered out of 180 kilometres.