Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Nov 22: Amid escalated tensions along the Line of Control (LoC), Army today said that three soldiers were killed and one of them mutilated in Macchil sector of Kupwara district in North Kashmir while security forces killed two militants in Bandipora district.
Sources said three soldiers of 57 RR were killed in an ambush by heavily armed and trained militants this afternoon at Lachi Dath post in Macchil in Kupwara. They said that body of one of the soldier was also mutilated.
The soldiers have been identified as Gunner Manoj Kumar Kushwah, 31, resident of Daddupur, Gazipur in Uttar Pradesh; Rifleman Prabhu Singh, 25, of Khirjankhas, Jodhpur in Rajasthan and Rifleman Shashank Kumar Singh, 25, of Nasiruddin Pur, Mohamadabad, Gazi Pur, Uttar Pradesh.
Sources said that Pakistani troops fired at Indian posts with mortars this afternoon and a patrol of 57 RR was sent near Lachi Dath post to foil any infiltration under the cover of mortar fire. They said that a Border Action Team (BAT) of militants ambushed the Army patrol killing 3 soldiers and mutilated one body before fleeing back to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Army retaliated by targeting Pakistani posts. Sources said that Pakistani army post was destroyed and firing is going on from both the sides.
Army’s Udhampur-based Northern Command twitter said: “3 soldiers killed in action on LoC in Macchil. Body of one soldier mutilated, retribution will be heavy for this cowardly act.”
Earlier in the morning, Pakistani military tweeted that at least four Pakistani nationals were killed and 10 others injured in different sectors along the LoC in Indian troops’ shelling.
The border escalation since surgical strike by Special forces in PoK on September 29 has led to killing of 30 people including 18 security force personnel along the LoC and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan has also suffered heavy casualties in the border escalation including those of troops and civilians.
In the meantime, two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants were killed in a gun battle at Hajin area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district this morning.
A security force official said that following a specific input about the presence of militants, a search operation was launched by 13RR and SOG at Bonikhan village of the Hajin. He said as the searches were underway, the militants fired upon forces, ensuing a gunfight.
Two militants were killed in the gun battle. Militants were initially in a residential house and later were killed in an open field as they apparently tried to flee the cordon. The identity of the militants is being ascertained but they appear to be foreigners.
Two AK-47 rifles, two UBGLs, 10 magazines of AK-47, 237 AK-47 ammunition rounds, four hand grenades, four UBGL grenades, Indian currency Rs 15,600 with two Rs 2000 notes and rest Rs 100 notes, 2 pouches, one I-com radio set, one Nokia set and its charger, three matrix sheets and one pocket size diary.
An Army officer said that security forces recovered two AK 47 rifles, one UBGL and other “war-like stores” from the slain militants. He said the operation was conducted in a built-up area and the forces “ensured that there is no collateral damage to the houses and civil population”.
Apart from scrapped notes, two new denomination notes of Rs 2000 were recovered from the militants.
Meanwhile, soon after the encounter, scores of people in Hajin staged a protest and demanded bodies of two militants for burial from police. The bodies of the duo have been taken to Boniyar for burial by police.
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