Brief gunfight in Kishtwar, search ops underway; officials say Machail Yatra not affected

Jammu: An encounter took place between security forces and terrorists in a remote forest in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar early on Sunday, officials said.

The officials, however, assured the pilgrims visiting the Machail Mata shrine in the district of adequate security and said there was no need to panic.

The gunfight took place for a brief period when police assisted by the Army and paramilitary forces launched a search operation in Nownatta, Naagseni Peyaas and adjoining areas following information about movement of terrorists, officials said.

Reinforcements have been rushed to the area and an operation is underway to hunt down the terrorists who have fled deep into the forest.

The latest encounter comes a day after two army personnel — Havaldar Dipak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Praveen Sharma — and a civilian were killed and five others injured in a fierce gunfight in the woods of Kokernag in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

The officials said the latest encounter in Kishtwar had no impact on the annual Machail Mata yatra in the Paddar area.

“In the morning a search operation was launched at Peyaas in Naagseni. As a precautionary measure, traffic and movement of pilgrims were stopped. After a brief pause, both the pilgrimage and traffic movement resumed smoothly. There is no need for panic,” an official said.

He said the district administration has urged all pilgrims to continue their journey with confidence as all necessary security measures have been put in place to ensure their safety.

The Machail Mata Yatra started on July 25 and is scheduled to conclude on September 5. (PTI)