NDTV Exclusive: How The Encounter In Jammu And Kashmir Unfolded

Dense, low visibility forests of Pir Panjal and its uphill terrain had cost the lives of two army officers and three soldiers during the two-day gunbattle with terrorists at Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri. Two Pakistani terrorists have been eliminated and searches are currently on in Rajouri's Kalakore area to retrieve their bodies.

Exclusive details of the encounter accessed by NDTV revealed a harrowing situation where the army was operating at a place where the visibility was no more than a few meters. The terrorists were at a higher ground, shooting from behind boulders where they had taken cover.

Sources said the terrorists have been on the run since November 19 and were hiding in "dhoks" or shelters for graziers in the area. The army had gone there after receiving a complaint from the locals and had started operations in Ziarat, Mal, Gulabgarh forest and the Solaki area.

Captain MV Pranjal of 63 Rashtriya Rifles was the first who got shot while talking to an elderly woman to gather information in the area where the terrorists were hiding. He had received a fatal injury and three others were shot subsequently while rescuing him, sources told NDTV.

Initially, it was Major DS Mehra of 9 Para had tried to rescue the injured Captain and sustained a gunshot wound. Captain Shubham Gupta, Havildar Abdul Majid and Lance Naik Sanjay Bisht from 9 Para were fatally injured as they tactically intervened, engaging the terrorists to rescue Captain Mehra, sources said.

Though they managed to extricate the two officers, Captain Shubham Gupta, Havildar Abdul Majid and Lance Naik Sanjay Bisht died later. Captain MV Pranjal also succumbed to his injuries in hospital. Major Mehra is stable now.

This morning, Pakistan had attempted to drop arms for the terrorists by drones, which has been foiled. The drones were carrying ammunition, which have been recovered, and probably pistols, sources said.

Shortly after 9 am, one of the two Pakistani terrorists was killed but another soldier, Paratrooper Sachin, died during the operation.

The second terrorist, who was hiding behind a Sangar (stone structures in the forest) was subsequently eliminated.

Sources said one of the two terrorists have been identified as Quari, a Lashkar-e-Taiba sniper and explosives expert who was active in Rajouri for over a year. He was involved in at least three terror incidents, sources said.

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