Soldier killed, another injured in Shopian encounter

Army vehicle damaged in IED blast

A soldier was killed and another injured in an ongoing encounter between security forces and militants in Pandushan village of south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Friday.

Reports said the gunfight broke out during the night (at around 1:30 am) after a joint team of Army’s 34-Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and special operations group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police launched a cordon-and-search-operation in Pandushan, 55 kms from here, following ‘specific inputs’ about the presence of militants.

As the search operation was going on hiding militants fired upon security forces resulting in injuries to two army personnel, they said and added one of the injured soldiers succumbed at a hospital later.

The slain was identified as sepoy Rambir of 8 JAT, presently posted with 34-RR. The injured was identified as sepoy Deepak.

An army spokesman while confirming the death of a soldier and injuries to another said the gunfight was underway.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident in the same district, an army vehicle of the 55-RR suffered damage after being targeted by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) by militants. No injury or casualties were reported in the incident.

Sources said the IED was planted along the road in Zahid Bagh area of Shopian and it went off with a loud bang followed by firing which created panic in the area.