Srinagar, 8 Sep

Two terrorists and two soldiers were killed in an encounter in Kulgam district of south Kashmir on Monday, officials said here.

Security forces launched a search operation in the Gudar forest area of Kulgam following information about the presence of terrorists there, the officials said.

They said the search operation turned into an encounter after the terrorists opened fire at the positions of the security forces.

"Based on specific intelligence input by JKP, a joint search operation was launched by #IndianArmy, @JmuKmrPolice & @crpf_srinagar in Guddar forest of #Kulgam," Srinagar-based Chinar Corps of the Army said in a post on X.

It said vigilant troops observed suspicious activity and, upon being challenged, the terrorists opened fire, "prompting a fierce exchange of gunfire during which one terrorist has been eliminated and a junior commissioned officer suffered injuries".

According to initial information, one of the terrorists killed was a local while the other one is believed to be a foreign militant having the code name of 'Rehman Bhai'.

Three Army personnel were also injured in the incident, of whom two succumbed later at the hospital, the officials said.