Srinagar: The hunt for militants hiding in the forest area of Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir has entered its final stages, a top police officer said on Wednesday, the 13th day of the operation.
Two Army soldiers have been killed and nine injured since the operation began on August 1 in the Akhal forest area.
Two militants have also been killed in the encounter. The identities and group affiliation of the slain militants have not been revealed so far.
“The Akhal operation has entered the final stages,” Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, V K Birdi, told reporters on the sidelines of the full dress rehearsal for the Independence Day celebrations at the Bakshi Stadium here.
He said the details of the operation will be shared in due course of time.
This is the longest anti-militancy operation in the Kashmir Valley in recent years.
Birdi said the full dress rehearsal and security drill ahead of Independence Day were concluded successfully.
“The main programme takes place in Srinagar city, where VVIP takes salute. For that, Srinagar police has made multi-tier arrangements along with CAPFs. High-rise spotters are also in place and proper security arrangements have been made,” the officer said.
