Another Encounter Takes Place In J&K's Kishtwar Near Machail Mata Shrine; No Casualties Reported

The location is near Machail Mata Shrine which several pilgrims are currently visiting as part of an yatra but the officials have assured that there is adequate security and said there was no need to panic.

Officials said a brief gunfight occurred when police, with help from the Army and paramilitary forces, started a search operation in Nownatta, Naagseni Peyaas, and nearby areas after receiving reports of terrorists and militants in the region.

Reinforcements have been sent to the area and the search is ongoing to find the militants who have escaped into the forest.

This encounter comes a day after two army personnel -- Havaldar Dipak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Praveen Sharma -- and a civilian were killed and five others injured in a fierce gunfight in the woods of Kokernag in south Kashmir's Anantnag district.

The officials said the latest encounter in Kishtwar had no impact on the annual Machail Mata yatra in the Paddar area.

"In the morning a search operation was launched at Peyaas in Naagseni. As a precautionary measure, traffic and movement of pilgrims were stopped. After a brief pause, both the pilgrimage and traffic movement resumed smoothly. There is no need for panic," an official said.

He said the district administration has urged all pilgrims to continue their journey with confidence as all necessary security measures have been put in place to ensure their safety.

The Machail Mata Yatra started on July 25 and is scheduled to conclude on September 5.