Key Takeaways
- Three officers—Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak and Deputy Superintendent Humayun Bhat—were martyred in the encounter.
- The joint police‑army operation targeted a terrorist hideout in the Garol village of Kokernag, Anantnag.
- The terrorist outfit TRF claimed responsibility for the attack via social media.
On Wednesday, September 13, in what is a national tragedy, three officers from the security forces made the ultimate sacrifice in a gunfight with terrorists in the Kokernag area of the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak, and Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir police, Humayun Bhat, got martyred during the confrontation with the terrorists.
The gunfight took place during the intervening night between Tuesday and Wednesday, in a joint operation by the police and the army, initiated to combat terrorists in the Garol village of Kokernag, in southern Anantnag.
The operation was initially launched on Tuesday evening, but was suspended later during the night. It resumed in the morning after receiving credible intelligence suggesting the terrorists’ presence at a hideout.
Altaf Thakur, BJP J&K Spokesman, said, ‘I pay glorious tributes to brave hearts Col Manpreet Singh, Maj Aashish Dhonchak, and DSP Humanyu, son of DIG Ghulam Hassan Bhat of Tral, for laying down their lives for the country. Our security forces are committed to rooting out terror from J&K soil and those behind the killing of today’s heroes won’t be spared. Urge top army officials and police to track down killers forthwith. Express my sympathies with the bereaved families.’
Meanwhile, the responsibility for the encounter has been claimed by the terrorist outfit TRF, and via social media, claimed that its special squad carried out the operation.
