The encounter between security forces and terrorists in the forest area of Gadole in the Kokernag area of Jammu & Kashmir's Anantnag district entered its fifth day as of Sunday.
The ongoing faceoff, now surpassing 100 hours, commenced on Wednesday and resulted in the unfortunate loss of three officers, including two from the Army and one policeman, during efforts to neutralize the terrorists.
The heavily armed terrorists, believed to be two-three in number, are hiding in a tactically favourable location in the dense and steep forest. This indicates a new pattern being used by the terrorists to take on the security structure in Kashmir.
Over these 100 hours, troops have fired hundreds of mortar shells and rockets, employing advanced technology to target suspected terrorist hideouts. They have also utilized advanced drones to deliver explosives. As a consequence, the serene alpine forests periodically reverberate with loud explosions and sustained heavy gunfire.
On Saturday, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, the chief of the Northern Command of the Army, made a visit to the site of the encounter. During his visit, he received a briefing on the utilization of cutting-edge equipment, including drones and firepower, by the troops in their efforts against the terrorists.