On the sixth day of the encounter, the search operation was restarted after a night-long halt at the Gadol area of Kokernag in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
On Sunday, the forces recovered a charred body near the site of the encounter at the Gadol Kokernag encounter.
Official sources told The Kashmiriyat that a charred body was found near the cave area where militants were initially believed to be hiding in the forest range of Gadol in Anantnag district of south Kashmir. “The body is beyond recognition, however and has been taken for DNA sampling,” they said.
Pertinently, a cordon and search operation was laid jointly by Jammu Kashmir Police, 19 RR of Indian Army and CRPF in the Gadol forest area of Kokernag, following an input about militant presence in the area.
As the troops reached the suspected spot, the militants fired indiscriminately on the forces, injuring three top officials, who later succumbed to their injuries.
“As of now the status of militants is not known. High-tech weapons including quadcopters are being used to keep a track of the entire area and cordon has been extended to the nearby areas. A multi-layered cordon has been extended. The security forces have damaged all likely locations where militants could be hidden, but it will be clear only after a search has been conducted,” he said.
The official said that the terrain of the mountain and the inclement weather have been major hindrances to the operation.
Colonel Manpreet Singh, who was the commanding officer of 19 RR, Major Aashish Dhonchak, Salvinder Kumar and DySP Humayun Bhat were killed during initial exchange of fire.