Two soldiers killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch

Two army soldiers, including a junior commissioned officer (JCO), were killed in an overnight fierce gun battle with militants in the Mendhar area of Poonch in Jammu on Thursday night.

A defence spokesperson said the JCO and a jawan were critically injured during a counter-insurgency operation in Nar Khas forest area of Mendhar sub-division on Thursday night. Both of them succumbed to their injuries subsequently, he said.

The slain soldiers were yet to be identified. This was the first contact of the security forces with the militants since Tuesday, when there was an exchange of fire for around 15 minutes, reports said.

Sources said the militants were suspected to be part of the same group which killed five Army soldiers in an encounter on Monday in the same district.

The twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region have witnessed a rise in infiltration attempts since June this year, resulting in the killing of nine militants in separate encounters. 10 soldiers have laid down their lives in these operations so far.

Violence has witnessed a spurt in Jammu and Kashmir in recent days. Seven soldiers, seven civilians and a dozen militants have been killed in separate incidents across the Union Territory.

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