Kathua Encounter: 3 Cops Killed, 3 Terrorists Shot Dead (image:x.com/INCJammuKashmir)

Srinagar: Three police personnel and three terrorists have been killed during an encounter in Jammu’s Kathua district on Thursday (March 27).

According to officials, seven other policemen, including a deputy superintendent of police, were injured the encounter, and are undergoing treatment in the hospital. Three to four terrorists are still holed up, reports states.

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For the past five days, Army, the National Security Guard, the Border Security Force, Police, the Special Operations Group, and the Central Reserve Police Force were conducting massive combing and search operations in various areas.

A group of nearly half a dozen militants were first spotted by a local couple. Since the village is situated near the International border, the terrorists were believed to a fresh group reached area crossing the border.

A local resident reported to Police that there was an exchange of fire on Sunday and on Tuesday that two men who wore army uniform had asked her for water while they were having food in the area.

In the following battle, two terrorists were killed. But in the encounter three policemen were killed in action and five others were injured as well.

“So far we have not retrieved bodies of fallen cops due to adverse terrain and presence of more terrorists there,” NDTV reports as an official is saying.

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Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Nalin Prabhat is heading the operation in Kathua.

Nearly five terrorists were trapped at Sanyal forests on Sunday. After a gun battle with the police, they were able to escape and reached Juthana, 20 km away. On Thursday, police located them again and encounter began again.

The search team was able to locate two grenades and some empty shells of M4 ammunition from the forests. As per the Police faction, terrorists believed to have entered into India on Saturday.

Jammu and Kashmir expressed condolence over the death of three policemen in the attack. Taking to X, it wrote: “Deeply saddened by the martyrdom of 3 brave police jawans in the Kathua encounter. Their sacrifice echoes their commitment to our region’s peace. Our heartfelt condolences to their families. The nation stands with them in their grief, and their bravery will not be forgotten.”