Indian Army has deployed drones and helicopters in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district where the operation to hunt two terrorists is ongoing since Wednesday (13 September).

Additionally another soldier, who had been missing since Thursday, has tragically lost his life in the encounter.

The encounter, which started on Wednesday morning, has now entered its third day, with the army is employing drones to precisely locate terrorists who are concealed in the forested and hilly terrain of the district.

According to security officials, "One more soldier has lost his life in the Anantnag operations. He had been reported missing since yesterday."

During joint security operations, the forces used drones to drop grenades on suspected terrorist hideout locations.

A tight cordon is being maintained in the area, ensuring that no terrorists escapes the operation.

The security operations began following specific intelligence inputs regarding the presence of two Pakistan-based terrorists in the Gadool hamlet of Anantnag's Kokernag area.

The security forces, comprising the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police, initiated the operation code-named Operation Garol in the area and established contact with the two terrorists.

The two terrorists holed up in the area are believed to be from the banned terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) proxy front The Resistance Front (TRF).

Among the encircled terrorists, one is a local LeT terrorist named Uzair Khan.

In the intense gunfight that ensued with the terrorists, Colonel Manpreet Singh and Major Ashish Dhonchak of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles, along with DSP Humayun Bhat of Jammu & Kashmir Police, lost their lives on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.

The mortal remains of Major Dhonchak, a recipient of the Sena Medal in 2023, have reached Panipat in Haryana, where his last rites will be conducted today.

Meanwhile, the last rites of DSP Bhat, survived by his wife and three-month-old son, were performed in Budgam on Wednesday evening.