Srinagar: The Cordon and Search Operation (CASO), which was initiated in the wee hours on Sunday in south Kashmir district of Kulgam, was called off as militants managed to escape after a brief exchange of fire.
Official sources said troops of Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police, Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and CRPF launched a joint CASO at Sighanpor, Kulgam following a tip off about the presence of militants.
After all exit points were plugged and when security forces were moving towards a particular area, militants hiding there, opened indiscriminate firing with automatic weapons, they said, adding security forces retaliated ensuing in a brief encounter.
However, they said the militants managed to escape under the cover of darkness. “The operation was called off in the evening after the entire area was sanitized,” they said.
They said there were reports of presence of two to three militants in the area.
