Kulgam: The prolonged anti-militancy operation in the Akhal forest area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district was officially called off on Tuesday, concluding 12 days of one of the longest counter-insurgency operations in recent years.
An official said the decision was taken after security forces, despite an exhaustive search through dense alpine forests and rugged terrain, found no fresh contact with the militants believed to have been hiding in the area.
“After continuous search and combing for nearly two weeks, and with no further movement detected, the operation was concluded this morning,” the official said.
The encounter began on August 1 following specific intelligence inputs suggesting the presence of at least two to three heavily armed militants in the higher reaches of Kulgam. The initial contact led to a gunfight that stretched over several days.
Two Army soldiers—Pritpal Singh and Harminder Singh—were killed, while at least ten others sustained injuries. One local militant was also killed in the initial exchange of fire. Sources said it appears the remaining militants managed to break the cordon.
The operation saw intermittent bursts of heavy gunfire as militants reportedly shifted positions deep within the forest cover. Security forces deployed drones, sniffer dogs, high-tech surveillance equipment, and attack helicopters to track possible hideouts, but thick vegetation and steep slopes made access extremely difficult. Large parts of the forest were sealed off, with reinforcements rushed in from the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF, and elite Para (Special Forces).
A security official said that given the topography and the forest’s connection to higher ridges towards Pir Panjal, it is possible the militants slipped away during the operation.
While the encounter site has been cleared, surveillance in the area will remain tight to prevent any possible reappearance of militants.
Unlike urban encounters, militants in such cases often choose treacherous mountain and forest terrain, leading to prolonged operations and large-scale troop deployment. In such operations, troops often suffer casualties, and flushing out militants from jungles requires sustained cordon and search in extremely challenging terrain. —(KNO)
