A joint team of the Army and Baramulla Police killed two terrorists in separate encounters on Saturday morning. The encounter occurred in the Hathlanga village of Uri Tehsil in the Baramulla district of Kashmir, said the Kashmir Zone Police. The team is looking for more terrorists in the area.
The development comes amid the search for terrorists in Anantnag where three security personnel were martyred during a counter-terrorism operation on Wednesday. While tributes poured in from across the nation for Commanding Colonel Manpreet Singh of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Major Ashish from RR, and Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat of Jammu, a political war has broken out between the Opposition and the ruling BJP over the issue. The operation against the terrorists took place in the Gadole area began on Tuesday evening but was temporarily called off for the night.
National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah blamed the BJP-led Centre for the attack. Advocating resumption of talks, he said, "I don't see an end to this. Today, we had an encounter in Rajouri; there are encounters daily. The government shouts daily that militancy is over. Now tell me, is militancy over? This will not be over until a path is not found through which peace can be achieved. Peace cannot be achieved through a fight, it can come through talks..."
However, Union minister General VK Singh dismissed the allegation and said the tragedy did not mean a rise in militancy in the valley. "We lost three officers. It's painful. But this should not be looked at in the way that militancy is rising again," he said.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that the government is ready for talks, but asserted: "Terrorism and talks cannot go hand in hand." Another BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said that an apt response would be dealt out for the attack on security forces in Anantnag. He said, "The sacrifice of our Jawans will not go to waste...A befitting reply would be given...The terrorists involved in this will be severely punished... The whole country is with the families of Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonak, and DSP Humayun Bhat...We will not forgive the terrorists involved in this."