3 soldiers killed during encounter with Pakistani intruders near Line of Control in J-K
INDIA Updated: Oct 21, 2018 17:55 IST
Ravi Krishnan Khajuria
Hindustan Times, Jammu
Three soldiers lost their lives in a bloody gunfight with a group of heavily-armed intruders from Pakistan near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Sunday. A fourth soldier, seriously injured in the encounter, has been evacuated to the army command hospital, Udhampur.
The intruders, believed to be part of Pakistan’s Border Action Team, had reportedly ambushed the army’s patrol party. Two of the intruders were shot by the soldiers.
Defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said the incident took place at about 1.45 pm.
“The Indian Army in Sunderbani Sector on the Line of Control had a fierce encounter with heavily armed Pakistani intruders very close to the Line of Control. The patrol killed two intruders and recovered warlike stores including two AK-47 rifles,” he said.
Lt Col. Anand said other Indian posts had also acted and effectively cordoned the area. “The search and destroy operation is in progress,” he said.
The spokesman said that it was a BAT attack. The intruders had come inside our territory and ambushed our patrol. Our soldiers immediately took positions and eliminated two BAT members”.
The army is yet to identify the soldiers.
BAT is an amalgam of terrorists from Lashkar and Jaish besides having Pak army regulars from its special services group.
On September 18, one such BAT action had taken place at Ramgarh sector of Samba district where BSF jawan Narendra Kumar was abducted and butchered to death by Pak’s BAT. Kumar’s throat was slit and his eyes gouged out.
Jaish-e-Mohammed on October 18 released pictures of Kumar’s belongings on social media that included his bullet proof jacket, five magazines INSAS rifle and his mobile phone.