Lost five men in hand to hand battle with militants on LoC; All infiltrators killed: Army

The Army on Monday said that it killed five militants in a hand-to-hand and close quarter battle in snow bound woods of Keran sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir's Kupwara district.

The Army said it launched a massive and daring anti-infiltration operation along the LoC and engaged the infiltrators in a “close quarter battle” in heavy snow, during which all the five militants were killed.

Defence Spokesman, Colonel Rajesh Kalia said that in the quarter battle with militants, it lost five professional soldiers including a junior commissioned officer (JCO), “who were air dropped near the LoC soon after getting specific inputs about the infiltration.”

Led by Subedar Sanjeev Kumar (hailing from Himachal Pradesh), the party which took on the militants, included Haveldar Davendra Singh (Uttarakhand), para-troopers Bal Krishan (Himachal Pradesh), Amit Kumar (Uttarakhand) and Chhatrapal Singh (Rajasthan). They made their sledge fall on the 'dhok' to allow other squads to hit the militants.

The army spokesperson said that the five troopers with the help of other squads neutralised the five infiltrating militants. The subedar died during the intense gunfight while the four others succumbed either on the way to hospital or at the 92-base hospital, Col Kalia added.

A police official in Kupwara said the bodies of all the slain militants are lying in the woods. “The terrain is tough and snow covered. The bodies haven’t been handed over to us for identification,” he said, wishing not to be named.

It may be recalled that a fierce encounter broke out between the security forces and militants on the LoC in Teen Bahak, KK Gali area in Keran sector on Saturday late evening. The operation concluded Sunday late evening with the killing of five militants and five soldiers, including a JCO.

On Saturday evening, the army had rushed elite paratroopers to Rangdoori, Guguldara and Teen Behak area of Jumgund in Kupwara. The operation was launched initially by army’s 8 JAT after intercepting a group of militants on Wednesday. Besides, the searches continued along Awaoora, Kumkadi, Zurhuma, Safawali, Batpora, Haihama areas by the joint team of army’s 41 and 57 Rastriya Rifles, 160 Territorial Army and J&K police.