Encounter Underway In J&K's Poonch As Security Forces Trap 3 Lashkar Terrorists In Panthanateer Area

An encounter is underway in the J-K’s Poonch district on Sunday, where security forces have successfully trapped three Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists. The operation in the Panthanateer area comes a day after three terrorists were killed in an encounter in Baramulla district.

The gunfight, which began in the Pattan area of the northern Kashmir district on Friday night, ended on Saturday afternoon. Earlier on Friday, two soldiers were killed and two others injured in a gunbattle with terrorists in Chatroo village of Kishtwar district. The gunfight broke out during a cordon-and-search operation in the Naidgham area of the Chhatroo belt.

These back-to-back encounters come as eight Assembly segments across the Chenab Valley region—encompassing the Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban districts—along with 16 seats in the south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian, and Kulgam, are set to vote in the first phase on September 18.

Jammu, Kathua, and Samba districts will hold their elections in the second and third phases on September 25 and October 1, respectively. On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a massive election rally for BJP candidates in the Doda district of Jammu region. This was the first election rally by the prime minister in Jammu and Kashmir.