Deputy SP, Army personnel, three Jaish terrorists killed in Kashmir's Kulgam encounter

A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), identified as Aman Thakur, an Army personnel and three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists were killed in an encounter in Turigam village of Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Sunday. Besides, one Army Major and a bodyguard sustained injuries in the gunbattle. Following specific input about the presence of terrorists, the security personnel launched a cordon and search operation in the area. The operation has been concluded after the troops recovered all of the three dead bodies of the terrorists. Two of them have been identified as Rakib Ahmad Sheikh and Gulzar Ahmad Bhatt.

The approaching police party was fired upon, in which Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Aman Thakur got seriously injured in the neck. The officer succumbed to his injuries when he was being flown to the army hospital, the police officials said. A 2011-batch JK Police Services officer and a resident of Doda district in the Jammu region, Thakur was leading the police team from the front in the encounter with JeM terrorists.

Thakur was posted as the DySP (operation) in Kulgam, a terrorist-infested area of south Kashmir, two years ago and had successfully carried out anti-terror operations in the area. He was awarded the DGP's Commendation Medal and Certificate for his exemplary service only last month.

Speaking to news agency PTI, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh said, "It is an unfortunate incident, in which we have lost a brave officer. He was a fighter and he led Sunday's operation himself".

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Last week, four Army officials were killed and several others injured during an encounter at Pinglan in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Four army personnel, including a major, a police head constable and a civilian lost their lives in south Kashmir. Armymen and cops who sustained injuries are Brigadier Harbir Singh of 12 Sector Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police South Kashmir range - Amit Kumar, a Lieutenant colonel, a Captain, and a sub-inspector.

These incidents came days after the gruesome terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district left 42 CRPF personnel dead and dozens of others injured. More than 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Valley, were travelling in the convoy of 78 vehicles when a suicide bomber, identified as Adil Ahmad, rammed his vehicle into a bus carrying 39-44 jawans on February 14, 2019.

Meanwhile, panic has gripped the Kashmir Valley after the government on Saturday issued several notices, asking residents and officials to stock up on essential items, including ration, petrol, diesel, LPG and medicines, for some time.

Furthermore, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Force (ITBF) have been ordered to replace the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for static guard duties in Srinagar. The move came after the Union Home Ministry issued the deployment of 100 more companies of central armed forces in Jammu and Kashmir. 

The order states that the move to give static duties to BSF and ITBP has been taken to strengthen the law and order grid in Kashmir region. According to the police, it is a practice to place new force as static guard outside as the new force is not well versed with law and order.