SRINAGAR: Kashmir’s ongoing security operations saw their eighth gunfight of November on Tuesday, as suspected Pakistani militants opened fire on a search party of soldiers and Jammu and Kashmir police officers in the Nagmarg area of Bandipora district. The search team had been approaching a suspected militant hideout when the attack occurred.
Security forces swiftly retaliated, but as of now, no casualties or injuries have been reported on either side. The operation is still underway, according to an official statement.
The uptick in violence this month comes amid increased tensions following the installation of an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir after a gap of six years. Recent attacks have resulted in multiple fatalities, with a JCO (Junior Commissioned Officer) and two village defense guards killed in Kishtwar on November 10 and 7. On October 24, an ambush near Gulmarg in Baramulla claimed the lives of two soldiers and two civilian porters. Additionally, a migrant worker from Bihar was shot dead in Shopian on October 18, and seven tunnel construction workers were murdered in Ganderbal on October 20.
Security forces have responded with a series of counteroffensives, resulting in the deaths of nine militants this month alone. These include two militants killed in Sopore’s Sagipora and Rajpura on November 8 and 9, one each in Bandipora and Kupwara on November 6, and two more in Bandipora on November 5. Among those killed was Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Usman, who was gunned down along with two other militants in Srinagar and Anantnag on November 2. Since May, security forces have neutralized at least 30 terrorists across Jammu and Kashmir.
