Four army soldiers and a militant were killed in two separate gunfights in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Monday.Official sources told Srinagar based news gathering agency Global News Service (GNS) that army’s 6 RR had launched large scale searches at Tilpatren forest area, some 7 kms from Hafruda Rajwara forests, following inputs about the movement of some militants in the area since last two days.Late last evening, the forces intercepted a group of militants in dense bushes which upon seeing the advancing army party opened heavy fire. The army fired back, triggering of a gunfight, they said.In the fierce gunfight, four army men were killed, they said.
The killed soldiers have been identified as Sepoy Surinder, Sepoy Buta Satyam, Lias Naik Gurdev Singh and Sepoy Surindera.The army along with the additional reinforcement launched massive searches to track down the militant group hiding inside the dense bushes, they said, adding the army has also pressed helicopters into service to trace out the hiding militants.In another encounter at Darpora forest area in Lolab, Kupwara, a militant was killed, they said.The slain according to a police officer has been identified as LeT commander Usman Tada of Pakistan.He was active in the area from last 2-years, the officer said.
The encounter started between militants and army’s 28 RR and 9 PARA at around 11:30 pm last night.When reports last came in, the search operation in the area was going on.Meanwhile, army’s Srinagar based defence spokesperson Col NN Joshi said that based on specific information regarding presence of some militants in Haphruda forest of Rajwar, a joint operation was launched by the Army and JKP yesterday evening.“Around midnight, as the forces approached the suspected area where the militants were reportedly hiding, they came under a heavy volume of fire. In the intense encounter that ensued, four Army soldiers were killed,” he said.In another encounter in Krusan, Lolab one militant was killed after army cordoned off the suspected area following a tip off, he said.The areas of both encounters have been cordoned off with additional troops inducted and combing operations are continuing, he added. (GNS)