An encounter broke out between security forces and militants in a remote forest of Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir in the wee hours of Sunday, officials said. However, they assured adequate security to pilgrims visiting the Machail Mata temple in the district and said there was no need to panic.
Officials said that after receiving information about the movement of terrorists, when the police with the help of army and paramilitary forces launched a search operation in Naunatta, Nagaseni Payas and surrounding areas, a brief encounter broke out between the two sides. They said that additional security forces have been sent to the area and the operation is on to search for the terrorists who fled into the dense forest.
A day earlier, two army jawans – Havaldar Deepak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Praveen Sharma – were martyred and five others were injured in a fierce gunfight in the Kokernag forests of Anantnag district in south Kashmir. Officials said today’s encounter in Kishtwar will not have any impact on the annual Machail Mata Yatra in the Paddar area.
An official said, “Search operation was started in the morning at Peyas of Nagseni. As a precaution, traffic and movement of pilgrims were stopped. After some time, pilgrimage and traffic were restored. There is no need to panic.” He said that the district administration has appealed to all the pilgrims to continue their journey with full confidence as all necessary measures have been taken for their safety. Machail Mata Yatra started on July 25 and will conclude on September 5.
