Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Aug 7: Army today foiled a major infiltration bid by heavily armed Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants along the Line of Control (LoC) in Gurez sector of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district, where massive search operation is going on in which four Army soldiers including a Major and two militants were killed. Click here to watch video
The troops of 36 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) this morning intercepted a group of at least 8 heavily armed infiltrators of LeT near Bakhtor area of Gurez along the LoC.
The troops challenged the infiltrators but they opened fire on the Army triggering an encounter. Four Army soldiers including a Major and two militants were killed in the operation. The deceased soldiers have been identified as Major KP Rane, Havaldar Hameer Singh, Havaldar Vikramjeet and Rifleman Mandeep Singh Rawat.
The bodies of the militants are yet to be retrieved as the terrain is difficult and it was raining in the area and visibility was also low.
Sources said that Army spotted a group of at least 8 infiltrators in Baktoora area on the LoC in Gurez this morning. As the Army challenged them, they fired at them killing four soldiers including a Major. They said two militants were also killed and the bodies have not been retrieved yet. They said that at least four militants have fled back to the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and a massive operation has been launched in the area.
Army is using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to trace out the militants. The Para-commados have also been brought in for the operation.
Srinagar based Defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said that four Army soldiers including an officer and two militants were killed in the operation in Gurez as Army foiled an infiltration bid. “Infiltration bid foiled in Gurez sector. Two militants killed. In the operation, one officer and three soldiers lost their lives,” he said, adding that the operation in the area is in progress.
In the meantime, a Special Police Officer (SPO) was injured in a militant attack at Pastuna village in Tral area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district this evening.
Militants fired upon SPO Ashiq Ahmad Lone, 24, son of Abdul Samad Lone near his residence at Pastuna Tral. In the incident, Ashiq suffered a bullet wound in his leg and has been taken to nearby hospital.
A joint team of Army and SOG launched a hunt against the militants responsible for the attack.
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