JOIN USAt least two army personnel, including a Lt Colonel, were injured on Sunday in an ongoing encounter with militants in North Kashmir’s frontier district of Kupwara.
Sources said the security personnel, who had launched a massive search operation in the forest areas of Manigah in Kupwara following the killing of a colonel on November 17, intercepted the fleeing militant group on Sunday afternoon, triggering off a fierce encounter.
In the gun battle, which was going on at the time of writing this report, two soldiers, including Lt Colonel K S Natt sustained bullet injuries, the sources said, adding the injured were taken to a military hospital in Kupwara.
Kupwara Superintendent of Police Aijaz Ahmad said the encounter broke out after the security forces were attacked by the militants.
A senior police officer told Deccan Herald that it was the same group of militants who had killed Colonel Santosh of 41 Rashtriya Rifles in the Behak forest area near Sonwali in Manigah.
“The group had infiltrated on the intervening night of October 30 and 31 and was trapped in the mountainous terrain due to heavy rain and snowfall. The group has managed to escape four times since November 13 in different locations in Manigah sector,” he said.
On November 10, the Army had recovered the body of a militant in Kumkadi forests of Manigah, who was believed to have died due to severe cold.
As per the latest reports, fresh reinforcements have been sent to the gun battle area to track down the militants.