Major, two soldiers hurt in Jammu and Kashmir gun battle

JAMMU - A major and two soldiers of the Indian Army were injured in a gun battle between security forces and a group of terrorists that entered its fourth day Friday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.

The major, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, was injured Friday morning.

The gun fight started Tuesday night at the Beri Rakh forests in Mendhar, around 230 km northeast of Jammu.

The army has lost Major Amit Thange, 28 and nine soldiers, while six of its men, including Colonel Ajay Katoch, have suffered injuries since the gun fight began.

Major Thange belonged to Chhindwara area of Madhya Pradesh. Colonel Katoch received a bullet in his neck and is undergoing treatment at a military hospital.

“The army has laid a cordon and would try its best to get all the militants,” General Officer Commanding 16 Corps Rameshwar Roy told reporters Thursday.

“These incidents of firing at the Indian Army are designed to divert the attention of the security forces so that more infiltrators could come from across,” he added.

An army official said that bodies of two terrorists were recovered from the Beri Rakh area Thursday. While the body of one terrorist was found in the morning, the second terrorist was killed in the shootout in the afternoon.

“Based on information regarding the presence of terrorists in Beri Rakh forests, troops of Rashtriya Rifles launched a cordon and a search operation July 11. Contact was established with the terrorists late Tuesday night and the firefight ensued,” defence spokesperson Lt. Col. Biplab Nath said about the operation Wednesday.

The terrorists appear to be from the Lashkar-e-Taiba, army sources said.