Ashiq Hussain

letters@hindustantimes.com

Srinagar : One militant was killed in a gunfight with security forces at Khrew in south Kashmir’s Pulwama after the operation resumed on Wednesday. The encounter, which left an army man and a cop dead, had begun on Tuesday.

J&K director general of Police Dilbag Singh said the counter insurgency operation resumed at Khrew in the morning. “The Khrew operation was resumed in the morning after being suspended late on Tuesday,” Singh said after the wreath-laying ceremony for the slain policeman here. In a tweet later, Kashmir police confirmed the killing of one militant. “The operation is still going on,” deputy inspector general of police, south Kashmir, Atul Kumar Goel said in the evening.“Security forces had launched an operation in Khrew and there were inputs that two terrorists were hiding in a house. As the operation started, there was exchange of fire, in which an army jawan [Rahul Rainswal] and SPO Shahzad Ahmad were martyred,” DGP Singh said.

He paid tribute to both the slain security men. “The lives of our martyrs won’t go waste,” he said. Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen KJS Dhillon also paid tribute to late Sepoy Rahul Rainswal at BB Cantt. An army spokesman said that Rainswal was part of a Cordon & Search Operation team when he was fired upon, causing him severe injuries. He was immediately evacuated to 92 Base Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Twenty-six-year-old Rainswal had joined the Army in 2013. He belonged to village Riyasi Vamangaon of Champawat District, Uttarakhand, and is survived by his wife and a daughter. DGP Singh said counter terrorist operations had intensified in Kashmir valley .

“There have been more than six successful operations and the operations will continue. We will continue to work harder for peace in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.