RAJOURI: Two AK-47 rifles, 10 magazines, ammunition, and other materials were recovered from terrorists who were gunned down in an encounter with security forces on Thursday.

The encounter broke out between terrorists and a joint team of the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the Bajimaal area of Dharamsala in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

While the forces suffered five casualties on its side, two terrorists, including a top LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba) commander and sniper, identified as Quari, were also neutralised on Thursday.

Quari is believed to have orchestrated several attacks, including the Dangri incident, where six innocent civilians lost their lives on January 23, and the Kandi attacks in Rajouri's Poonch areas. His elimination marks a significant blow to the revival of terrorism in these districts, according to an army official.

Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command, on Friday said some of the terrorists who have crossed over into India from across the border are retired Pakistani soldiers.

Speaking to media persons after paying his last tributes to five soldiers, including two Army Captains, who lost their lives in the Rajouri firefight, Lt Gen Dwivedi said, "While we lost five our brave soldiers in the encounter, we also eliminated two dreaded terrorists. Our boys went after the well-trained and equipped foreign terrorists without giving any thought to their personal safety. This (taking out the dreaded terrorists) has dealt a major blow to the terror ecosystem and Pakistan. As per our estimation, 20-25 terrorists could still be operating in the area. We should be able to control the situation in a year's time with the help of locals."

Lt Gen. Dwivedi added that the terrorists were involved in the killing of innocent civilians in Dangri, Kandi and Rajouri and their elimination was a priority for the joint forces team involved in the operation.