Jammu, January 1
Two army personnel were killed in a gunfight with heavily-armed Pakistani infiltrators along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Wednesday, officials said.
The infiltrators were intercepted in the Khari Thrayat forest when they were trying to sneak into India from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), they said.
“Two army soldiers martyred during cordon and search operation in Nowshera sector. The operation is still in progress and further details are awaited,” Jammu-based Indian Army Public Relations Officer (PRO) Lt Col Devender Anand said in a statement.
The search operation was launched following information about the movement of suspected terrorists, the officials said.
The infiltrators opened fire on the troops and during a fierce gunfight the two soldiers were killed, they said.
2 soldiers killed in gunbattle with infiltrators along LoC
HT Correspondent
letterschd@hindustantimes.com
JAMMU : Two soldiers were killed in a gunbattle with suspected Pakistani terrorists as the army foiled an intrusion bid along the line of control in the Nowshera sector in Rajouri district of Jammu & Kashmir on Wednesday.
“On the intervening night of December 31 and January 1, a contact was established with infiltrators in Nowshera’s Kalal area. The heavily armed terrorists retaliated and in the ensuing exchange of fire, two soldiers were critically injured and later succumbed to their injuries ,” defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said. The officer identified the soldiers deceased as Naik Sawant Sandip Raghunath, 29, and Rifleman Arjun Thapa Magar, 25.
Naik Sawant, who hailed from Satara in Maharashtra, is survived by his wife Smita. Rifleman Arjun Thapa, who was resident of Nepal’s Gorkha district, is survived by his wife Sarita,
“Naik Sawant and Rifleman Arjun Thapa were brave, highly motivated and sincere soldiers. The nation will always remain indebted to them for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty,” said the defence spokesman.
Officials said the army had launched a cordon-and-search operation following information about movement of suspected terrorists. Reinforcements have been rushed to the area and a massive operation is on to track down the terrorists, they said. Eighty-three security personnel had lost their lives in anti-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018, according to J-K Police
On Tuesday, J&K director general of police Dilbag Singh had said there are 250 militants active in the state, of which 100 are foreigners and the rest are locals.