5 militants, 3 soldiers killed in encounter in Kupwara forest

5 militants, 3 soldiers killed in encounter in Kupwara forest

Kupwara: Five militants and three army soldiers were killed in a gunfight in Keran sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of north Kashmir.

Sources in the police and army said that three days ago, army troops along the LoC in Keran sector came across suspicious movement in dense forests, whereupon they challenged the militants. A brief gunfight ensued and the militants managed to escape taking advantage of the forest and bad weather. The sources said that since then a massive search operation was being conducted by the army in which several units including 41 RR, 57 RR, 8 Jat, 160 TA regiment and others participated. The army sealed all the entry and exit points to settlements in the area while helicopters and sniffer dogs were put into the service to trace the militants.

On Saturday evening, army’s 8 Jat regiment, which was part of the search operation, found the group of militants in Rangdori Behak and challenged them, The gunfight that ensued went on till late night with fire coming from both sides.

On Sunday, army officials said that five militants had been killed and an army soldier had lost his life while two army soldiers had been seriously injured. Later in the day, Srinagar-based spokesperson of the Indian Army, Lt Col Rajash Kalia, in a statement said that the two soldiers who were seriously injured had succumbed to their injuries in a hospital. He said that other wounded soldiers are undergoing treatment.

Sources said that a group of militants had sneaked into this side of Kashmir earlier this week and the militants were believed to be six in number.

Army sources said that a search operation is still continuing in the area, though no fresh contact has been established since Saturday night.

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