Poonch encounter: 3 security personnel, Pak terrorist injured

Three security personnel and an arrested Pakistani terrorist were injured on Sunday when terrorists opened fire on a joint search party of the Indian Army and police inside a forest in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on the 14th day of a massive operation against militants hiding in the area, a police officer said.

The arrested Pakistani terrorist, Zia Mustafa, who got injured at the encounter site where he had been taken by the security forces to identify a hideout in Bhata Durian forest, couldn't be retrieved because of the heavy volume of fire, said the officer.

"Injured personnel are under treatment at the nearby health facility. A fresh attempt will be made with reinforcements. Operation at the site is still going on," said police.

In Bhata Durian, hiding militants had killed a junior commissioned officer (JCO) and three army soldiers on October 14. Three days before that on October 11, five army men including a JCO were killed in another encounter in nearby forest area adjoining Surankote at Chamrer, resulting in the loss of nine soldiers in the protracted encounter, which began on October 11.

On Tuesday, army chief general MM Naravane visited Poonch and reviewed the security situation. This was the first instance of an army chief visiting an encounter site in Jammu & Kashmir.

Last week, the Jammu & Kashmir Police said the terrorists were believed to be hiding in the jungles since August this year. A senior police officer said the terrorists were believed to have sneaked in the Nar Khas forests and Chamrer from Balakot.