In a major development, the security forces have eliminated at least five terrorists in two separate encounters in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on Friday (9 April), reports Hindustan Times.
The security forces gunned down two terrorists in the Tral Area in J&K's Awantipora district. The operation is reportedly still going on.
Meanwhile, in the UT's Shopian district , security forces are engaged in a fierce gun battle with terrorists for more than 12 hours now. Three terrorists have been neutralised by the forces so far, while two more are still hiding inside a mosque and firing from there. The encounter is currently underway.
The chief of proscribed terrorist outfit Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (JeM) is said to be among the terrorists in the Shopian district, however, it is not known yet if he is present inside the mosque or has been eliminated given the identity of those killed so far is still to be ascertained.
It should be noted that in a bid to compel the terrorists hiding inside the mosque to surrender, J&K Police had last night sent the brother of one of the terrorists and a local Imam inside the mosque to persuade them.
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