ANANTNAG: Drones and helicopters were used to track and neutralise the ultras who killed three security forces officers as the operation to expel terrorists from the dense woodland area in Anantnag district reached its fourth day, officials said on Saturday. According to reports, security personnel used helicopters and drones to survey the steep terrain and locate the terrorists hiding in the forests at Gadole in the Kokernag area of south Kashmir district.Security forces reportedly fired three mortar shells at the woodland as the assault picked back up on Saturday morning, the fourth day of the fighting. After security troops shelled a cave-like shelter on Friday, drone footage captured a terrorist scurrying for cover. Late Friday night, Additional Director General of Police (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar said that “two to three trapped terrorists will be neutralised” and that the operation was started based on specific information. In the Wednesday engagement with the terrorists, Major Ashish Dhonchak, Col. Manpreet Singh, the commanding officer of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Deputy Superintendent Humayun Bhat, and a soldier all lost their lives.
