Jammu . The three terrorists killed by security forces in the Akhnoor encounter were preparing for a major attack in Kashmir. The terrorists were linked to the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed group and had infiltrated into the region from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The encounter between security forces and terrorists lasted for about 27 hours in Kerry Battal in Akhnoor sector of the Line of Control with Pakistan. In this the soldiers killed all three terrorists. The terrorists had infiltrated and hid in the ancient Shiva temple in Battal. Shiv Asan temple was badly damaged during the encounter, but the ancient Shivalinga installed there remains intact. Officials said on Wednesday that the terrorists were planning a major attack using the Akhnoor route traditionally used by operatives of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group. According to intelligence reports, the terrorists entered Akhnoor area through Battal area and a wireless set seized from them confirmed their association with Jaish-e-Mohammed. Officials said the infiltrating terrorists were reportedly targeting a larger attack. However, Major General Sameer Srivastava, General Officer Commanding of the Army’s 10 Infantry Division, had claimed that infiltration has not been seen in the area for a long time. Major General Srivastava indicated that terrorists in the area were operating in small groups and had moved to Akhnoor for the planned attack. The encounter began on Monday morning when three local teenage boys, who had come to the Shiv Mandir Asan in Battal, encountered armed terrorists dressed in combat fatigues.
What is Jaish-e-Mohammed?
Let us tell you that Jaish-e-Mohammed literally means Army of Mohammed. The objective of this organization is to integrate Kashmir into Pakistan. Masood Azhar, a Muslim cleric based in Pakistan, founded this group after his release by India in 1999. Masood was among those who were released in exchange for the crew and passengers of the Indian Airlines flight.