Encounter erupts between terrorists and security forces in Jammu & Kashmir ahead of Amarnath yatra

An encounter erupted between security forces and terrorists in the Kuru area of Basantgarh in Udhampur district on Thursday, just a week ahead of the Amarnath Yatra.

The security forces shared the information about the encounter, codenamed Operation Bihali, saying that the action is currently underway in an area after which the operation is named. The encounter took place during a joint operation by the Army and police.

"Op BIHALI. Based on specific intelligence, a joint operation was launched by #IndianArmy and@JmuKmrPolice in the Bihali area of #Basantgarh. Contact has been established with #terrorists. The #operation is currently in progress," the White Knight Corps said in a post on the social media platform X.

The latest encounter occurred just a week before the start of the Amarnath Yatra, which is scheduled to begin on July 3. A large number of pilgrims are expected to throng the Amarnath cave shrine in the coming days during the Yatra period, which will end on August 9.

"The encounter started early in the morning, and the operation is going on," said Bhim Sen Tuti, IGP Jammu Zone, while speaking to the mediapersons about the ongoing operation in Basantgarh.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Security forces conducted a joint mock drill at the Baltal base camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal in preparation for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, scheduled to start on July 3.

The exercise was conducted under the supervision of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ganderbal.

The encounter in the Bihali area of the Udhampur district comes about two months after the horrific terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam in April, which killed 26 people.

It also comes just a month and a half after India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in PoK and Pakistan's Punjab province. The security forces had hit nine terror hubs during that operation, killing more than 100 terrorists.