Jammu, Aug 11 : Firing exchanges took place on Sunday between the security forces and the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district.

Officials said the firing exchanges happened in the Paddar Batam Bridge area in the Kishtwar district. The search operation is currently underway there.

Meanwhile, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi and All Ranks of the Indian Army saluted the supreme sacrifice of Bravehearts Havildar Dipak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Praveen Sharma, who laid down their lives in the line of duty, in Anantnag.

In an encounter between the security forces and the terrorists in the Ahlan Gandole area of Kokernag in Kashmir's Anantnag district on Saturday, two soldiers were killed. Five other persons, including three soldiers and two civilians, were injured.

The Army said the terror antecedents of the two injured civilians are being established.

All the injured, including the two civilians, were shifted to a hospital for treatment on Saturday.

The Army stated on Saturday evening on the Kokernag gunfight, which said, 'It had been earlier confirmed through Human and Electronic means on 05 August 2024 terrorists responsible for atrocities and incidents in the Doda region in the month of July 24, had sneaked across the Kishtwar range into the Kapran Garol area in South Kashmir. Rashtriya Rifles and J&K Police have ever since relentlessly tracked these terrorists and precise operations were launched on the night of 09 & 10 Aug 2024 in the area East of Kapran, in the mountains, where these terrorists were reportedly holed up."

"Suspicious movement was observed at approximately 1400 hours on 10 August, on challenging, was immediately responded to by indiscriminate, desperate and reckless firing from terrorists in which two Army personnel and two civilians, in the vicinity, were injured. The terror antecedents of the injured civilians are being ascertained," the Army said.

The area where the encounter erupted is above 10,000 feet in high altitude and has thick undergrowth, large boulders and nallahs that pose a serious challenge to operations.

"The security forces are in the process of hunting down the terrorists," said the Army

/IANS