Anantnag encounter culminates on Day 7 with the death of LeT terrorist Uzair Khan

The Anantnag encounter, one of the longest in history, culminated on Day 7 with the death of Uzair Khan, the terrorist who gunned down top Army personnel. Uzair Ahmad Khan (28), a native of Nagam Kokernag in Anantnag, was reported missing on July 26, 2022. Uzair is believed to be joined by two foreign terrorists, according to intelligence authorities. Vijay Kumar, ADG Kashmir, acknowledged the death of LeT commander Uzair Khan and asked civilians not to approach the hideouts till a search and combing operation is over. “LeT commander Uzair Killed, body and weapon have been recovered. one more dead body has been seen. Search operation still on. We will search more blind cells… We appeal people not to visit spot till we clear it. Total 2-3 were believed to be there. Maybe we’ll find another body. Second body seen. We will find more spots and destroy it. Three officers and one solider have been martyred," Vijay Kumar said. The Army has obtained DNA samples from a burnt corpse retrieved from the scene. The Army believes it is the work of an Army man known as Pradeep. This brings the total number of casualties to four: three Indian Army troops and one Jammu and Kashmir Police officer. Since the corpse of the last soldier was retrieved on Monday evening (Day 6), the Army made the final push and finished the operation on Day 7. A search effort is still underway to locate the two or three terrorists who may be hiding in the vicinity. The search is underway in the aftermath of a 100-hour fire war between Pakistan-backed militants and security forces in Kokernag, Anantnag district, South Kashmir. The operation to flush out terrorists, which entered its sixth day on Monday, has been underway in Anantnag’s Gadole forest area since Wednesday, when three brave security forces personnel, including Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak, and Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat, lost their lives in the operation. According to sources, security personnel are employing drones and helicopters to monitor the densely wooded region with many cave-like hideouts where the terrorists are thought to be holed up since Wednesday. On Sunday, the police perimeter was expanded to the adjoining Posh Kreeri region as a precautionary step to ensure that terrorists do not infiltrate civilian communities. What happened so far On Friday night, gripping footage surfaced showing the use of armed drones, which were strategically used to neutralise terrorist subterranean hideouts. The Anantnag operation has turned into one of Kashmir’s longest military battles, but security forces are making no compromises in their objective to eliminate terrorist hideouts tucked amid the difficult terrain of Gadool Hill. According to reports, the region may be hiding two to three terrorists, including two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including self-styled LeT leader Uzair Khan.