The encounter between a group of terrorists and security forces continued for the 4th consecutive day on Monday in the dense forest area of Akhal in Kulgam district.
The area was rattled with the heavy gunfire and explosions throughout the day today.
A security official said there was intermittent exchange of heavy gunfire between the security forces and the terrorists trapped in the Akhal forest area.
“So far, two terrorists have been killed and three soldiers injured in the gunfight,” sources said.
The encounter which began on August 1 evening after security forces received credible intelligence inputs about the presence of four to five terrorists in the Akhal forest belt.
The operation triggered a fierce exchange of fire, which has continued with varying intensity over the past 72 hours.
The operation is being carried out jointly by the Army's elite Special Forces, CRPF, and Jammu and Kashmir Police, with support from Rudra attack helicopters and surveillance drones, relentlessly combing the area to flush out the hiding militants.
High-tech surveillance equipment, including drones and thermal imaging devices, along with elite Para Special Forces, are taking part in the operation.
Senior police and army officials, including the DGP and the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Corps, are closely monitoring the situation.
The dense and rugged terrain has made the search effort especially challenging, officials said.
The area remains under a tight cordon to prevent the remaining militants from escaping. Senior security officials are on the ground, closely monitoring the situation.
A security official said the anti-terror operation may prolong as security forces are moving in the dense forest area very cautiously.
This is the second major encounter in Kashmir within a week.
On July 28 security forces killed three Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists in an encounter in the Harwan-Dachigam forest area on the outskirts of Srinagar. The trio was involved in April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam in which 25 tourists and a local pony rider were killed.