Inquiry ordered into encounter in J&K's Kupwara

Srinagar: Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district ordered an inquiry on Friday into a June 19 encounter between terrorists and security forces in which four ultras, including one who was arrested earlier, were killed.

The encounter broke out at Chandigam in the Lolab area of the north Kashmir district.

The Lolab sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) has been appointed as the inquiry officer to conduct a magisterial enquiry under section 176 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc) into the anti-terrorism operation at Chandigam, according to an official spokesperson.

"The public is hereby informed that if anyone has any kind of information regarding the subject, he or she may submit or get his or her statement recorded at the



office of the SDM, Lolab within seven days from the date of publishing this notice," the spokesperson said.

The security forces had launched a search operation in a forest area of Chandigam on the basis of information provided by arrested terrorist Showkat Ahmad Sheikh, police said.

During the search of a terrorist hideout, the ultras hiding there started firing indiscriminately at the search party, which was retaliated effectively, leading to the encounter.

In the initial exchange of fire, one terrorist was killed while the arrested ultra leading the search party also got trapped.

A total of four terrorists, including Sheikh, were killed in the encounter.