Anantnag Encounter: Soldier Loses Life, Toll Climbs To 4

A fourth soldier succumbed to his injuries on Friday, bringing the death toll to four in an ongoing encounter in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir. The area is cordoned off, and a search operation is underway, according to an official statement.

The encounter followed a gunfight that erupted between security forces and concealed terrorists in the Kokernag area of Anantnag on Wednesday. In this violent exchange, an Army Rashtriya Rifles unit Commanding Officer (Colonel), a Company Commander (Major), and a Jammu and Kashmir Police Deputy Superintendent (DSP) lost their lives. The encounter is ongoing.

The four officials who tragically lost their lives are Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchack, DSP Humayun Bhat, and the fourth soldier whose identity has not been disclosed.

Colonel Manpreet Singh and Major Ashish Dhonchack were laid to rest in their hometown of Panipat on Friday morning. DSP Humayun Bhat was given his final farewell on Thursday at his residence in Budgam. After the encounter, the Indian Army airlifted their remains to Srinagar on Thursday, and a tribute was paid to their mortal remains on Thursday evening.

Officials have disclosed that the army was leading the operation based on specific intelligence inputs, searching for terrorists in a hideout when the firefight erupted. The terrorists initiated gunfire, resulting in the immediate death of Colonel Manpreet Singh and injuries to two other officials who later succumbed to their injuries in a Srinagar hospital.

The terrorists are believed to be associated with "The Resistance Front," a proxy group of Lashkar-e-Taiba. Security forces suspect that two to three terrorists are still hiding in the area. To facilitate surveillance and aid in the search operation, Heron drones and quadcopters have been deployed in the region, as reported by officials.

In response to the killing of four security personnel, anti-Pakistan protests erupted on Thursday in various parts of Jammu city. Organizations such as Panun Kashmir and the Eik Sanatam Bharat Dal (ESBD) paid homage to the fallen personnel and called for a comprehensive operation against the terrorist network in Jammu and Kashmir.