Aasif Suhaf / Srinagar: Two army officers including a colonel, major, and DSP of Jammu and Kashmir Police martyred during an anti-terrorist operation at Gadole area of Kokernag in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district today, officials said.

The anti-terrorist operation launched during the previous night in the forest area of Kokernag in Anantnag district turned out to be the bloodiest for the army and Police who lost three of its senior officers in the encounter with terrorists, official sources told News24.

Army spokesperson in Srinagar while sharing the details about the operation earlier in the day said that “Based on specific intelligence on the presence of terrorists a Joint Operation was launched by Indian Army and Jammu Kashmir Police on the intervening night of 12-13 Sep in Area Garol, Anantnag.” The spokesperson further added that “Contact established and firefight ensued. Two Army personnel and one J&K Police personnel were injured. Operation in progress.”

A top forces official told News24 that during the initial exchange of firing between terrorists and a joint team of army and police, two senior army officers and a DSP rank police officer received bullet wound injuries. He said that initially army colonel succumbed to the injuries despite enormous efforts by forces, The lives of the Major and DSP Couldn’t be saved as well and they too succumbed to the injuries before being evacuated to the hospital.

Although the official confirmation on the killing of three officers is still awaited from the Police and the army the sources said that all three officers from the army and Police came under heavy fire from terrorists whose number is still unknown. Sources further said that there was no fresh contact with the terrorists after the initial encounter.

Another senior police officer while giving details about the place of encounter said that the area is densely forested and mostly Pakistani terrorists operate and hide in this kind of place, he said that after coming under heavy fire the evacuation of officers also took long as the army chopper was waiting at some distance away from the operational area. The delay in the evacuation operation has led to the blood loss of injured officers and their lives Couldn’t be saved.

The martyred army colonel has been identified as Manpreet Singh who was the Commanding officer of the army’s 19 Rasthiya Rifles, while the army major has been identified as Aashish Dhonchak. The martyred DSP has been identified as Humayun Bhat son of a retired police officer.

Terrorist outfit TRF has claimed responsibility for the encounter and said that its special squad carried out the operation. Police and other security agencies are tight-lipped about the TRF claim but sources said that the forest area of Kokernag where this encounter took place is connected with the Kulgam Hallen forests where terrorist outfit PAFF (People’s Anti-Fascist Front) had carried out a similar attack on army last month on 04 August killing three army soldiers.

Also Read: Jammu And Kashmir: Army Colonel Martyred, 2 Officers Injured In Encounter