20 die in avalanches, two in anti-militancy operation

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 13

Like the previous year, when the Army had to face a huge loss as many of its soldiers were killed in various terror attacks in the state, 2017 has not brought any relief to the force and it has lost 22 soldiers, including a Major, till date.Twenty out of 22 Army men have been lost due to nature’s fury when avalanche struck Army camps in the Sonmarg, Gurez and Machil areas of the Kashmir valley. The loss in less than one and a half months of the year is relatively high as compared to earlier years.As the Army has been fighting nature’s fury, two of its soldiers were killed in the Frisal area of Kulgam district in south Kashmir yesterday during an encounter with militants in the area. Four militants and two civilians were also killed in the gun battle.Since the start of the year till January 25, the Army in the state had achieved success in killing several militants in different encounters without losing a single soldier. But on January 25, a snow avalanche killed a Major in Sonamarg and in the Gurez area 14 soldiers were killed after an avalanche hit the area. In the Machil area of Kupwara district five soldiers were rescued on January 28, but they succumbed to their injuries on January 30 in Srinagar.Last year, the Army had suffered a loss of around 60 soldiers in different militancy-related incidents, including Uri and Nagrota terror attacks. In all, 165 militants were killed in the state last year and to date this year, 15 militants have been killed in the Kashmir valley.Yesterday, it was the Army’s first casualty during an anti-militancy operation this year when two soldiers were killed in Kulgam.

Earlier casualties

• In 2016, the Army had suffered a loss of 60 soldiers in different militancy-related incidents, including the Uri and Nagrota terror attacks.
• 165 militants were killed in the state last year and this year to date, 15 militants have been killed.