Encounter Breaks Out Between Indian Forces, Terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian

Sputnik News

05:49 GMT 07.06.2020

New Delhi (Sputnik): India's federally-administered region of Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed several search operations and terrorist encounters. After Indian troops recently foiled a Pulwama-style attack on security forces, Indian intelligence reports revealed that terrorists trained in Pakistan are planning several attacks in the region.

An encounter between Indian security personnel and terrorists is currently underway in the Reban area of Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian.

Police and security forces are carrying out the operation in South Kashmir in response to intel received about the presence of militants in the area.

"What initially started as a research operation led to an encounter after militants began firing on the Indian troops. Joint troops from the 178th battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force, Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Operation Group at Zainapora had launched a cordon and search operation in Shopian," Jammu and Kashmir police reported. More details on the encounter are awaited.

The gunfight comes after intelligence reports in India last month pointed out that 20 Taliban members are planning to carry out terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir after receiving military training from Pakistan in Afghanistan.

Last month, the Indian forces foiled an alleged attempt to carry out "2019 Pulwama-style" car-bombing attacks on a convoy of Indian security forces in South Kashmir when they defused a vehicle laden with explosives. The February, 2019 Pulwama attack was carried out by terrorist group Jaish-e-mohammed (JeM) and took lives of 40 Indian personnel.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan had earlier tweeted that India's is trying to divert world's attention from atrocities committed against minorities in India-administered Kashmir and said that "false flag operations" by New Delhi are "imminent" in the region.

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