Jammu – Three terrorists killed by security forces in Akhnoor encounter were preparing for a major attack in Kashmir. The terrorists were linked to the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed group and had infiltrated into the region from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The encounter between the security forces and the terrorists at Keri Battal in Akhnoor sector of the Line of Control with Pakistan lasted for about 27 hours. In this, the soldiers killed all three terrorists. The terrorists had infiltrated and hidden in the ancient Shiva temple in Battal.
The Shiv Asan temple was badly damaged during the encounter, but the ancient Shivling installed there remains intact. Officials said on Wednesday that the terrorists were planning a major attack using the Akhnoor route traditionally used by the operatives of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group.
According to intelligence reports, the terrorists sneaked into Akhnoor area through Battal area and a wireless set seized from them confirmed their affiliation with Jaish-e-Mohammed. The infiltrating terrorists were reportedly aiming for a major attack, officials said. However, General Officer Commanding of the Army’s 10 Infantry Division Major General Sameer Srivastava had claimed that the area had not seen infiltration for a long time. Major General Srivastava indicated that the terrorists in the area were operating in small groups and had moved to Akhnoor for the planned attack. The encounter started on Monday morning when three local teenage boys who had come to the Shiv Mandir Asan in Battal were confronted by armed terrorists wearing combat uniforms.
