Soldier killed in encounter with militants in J&K's Sopore

The gun battle erupted on Sunday evening after army and J&K police cordoned off Zaloora village of Sopore following ‘specific inputs’ about the presence of militants in the area, officials said.

Srinagar: A soldier was killed in an ongoing overnight encounter with militants in the Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Monday.

The gun battle erupted on Sunday evening after army and Jammu and Kashmir police cordoned off Zaloora village of Sopore following ‘specific inputs’ about the presence of militants in the area, officials said. The militants hiding in the area opened indiscriminate firing on the search party, which was retaliated by security forces.

They said the operation was halted last night due to darkness but the security forces maintained a tight cordon in the area during the night.

“With the first light of the morning, fresh firing resumed. In the ensuing encounter a soldier was injured who was evacuated to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries,” officials added.

Reports said reinforcements have been sent to the area and an operation to flush out militants is going on.

There has been a decline in violence in Kashmir in recent years with 68 militants killed in Jammu and Kashmir in 2024 compared to 187 in 2022. Compared to 153 terrorism related incidents in 2019, the number dropped to 60 last year while the number was 46 in 2023.

However, despite decline in violence, sporadic terror attacks have rocked Jammu and Kashmir in 2024 resulting in dozens of deaths of soldiers and civilians.