2 armymen among 9 killed in 4-day-long in occupied Kashmir encounter

[Areesh]

SRINAGAR: At least nine people, including five militants, two policemen and two soldiers were killed in four days of gunfight in north Kashmir's Kupwara district, Army officials said on Thursday.

Brigadier AL Chavan of General Staff 15 Corps said that the encounter started on Monday when a group of Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists tried to infiltrate into the region near Karlpora village around 130km from here.

"On the night 26th and 27th (September) some militants tried to infiltrate into Keran sector in the Kupwara district. Around 12.30am our troopers positioned at the Shamsabari range got information about this infiltration. At the same time this group of six to seven militants was surrounded by our troopers," said Chavan.

He said soon after the information was received, a battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir Police joined the Army officials. The Army's 18 Grenadiers and police's Special Operations Group (SOG) launched an operation in the mountains to nab the militants.

Chavan said that the militants started heavy firing confirming that they were in possession of huge cache of arms and ammunitions. "The gunfight is underway and the area is completely besieged," said Brigadier AL Chavan said. "So far 5 militants have been killed but in the standoff we have also lost two policemen, an Army officer and a soldier," the officer said.

The slain army officer has been identified as Lieutenant Sushil Khajuria.

"The area is a difficult hilly terrain and that is why this gun battle is taking a long time," said Chavan. He added that the encounter had been the 24th infiltration attempt by the militants in 2011. So far over two dozen militants have been killed in various gun battles.

Source

 

[Areesh]

Oops. Looks it hasn't ended yet.

The fierce encounter between militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district entered its fifth day on Friday after firing resumed early in the morning. So far, five militants and an equal number of security personnel have been killed in the gunbattle.

The general officer commanding (GOC) 15 Corp Srinagar, Lt Gen S.H. Husnain, said, "A fresh encounter started today 5.30 in the morning. We can't say whether it is an infiltrating or exfiltrating group. We can't say how many terrorists are present as the area is close to the LoC, but a fierce encounter is taking place."

Earlier, the encounter seemed to have ended on Thursday after the militants stopped firing in Shamsabari forests. It is one of the longest encounters between security forces and militants in the Kasmir Valley.

So far, one army officer, two army jawans and two policemen of J&K Special Operations Group have sacrificed their lives in the encounter. Five militants were also killed and a huge quantity of arms and ammunition has been recovered.

Source