Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 10: An Army commando was killed in a fierce gun battle in Lolab forests of North Kashmir early today and Army have launched a massive operation against the militants responsible for his killing.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) of counter-insurgency Kilo Force, Major General Sarath Chand told Excelsior that Army had information about the movement of 3 militants in Varnow forest area last night.
“We launched our troops early in the morning. We launched a search operation and during the process of the search there was an exchange of fire between the militants group and our search party. One of our men got injured and he has been evacuated to hospital. As for militant casualties are concerned there are no reports. Probably there were 3 militants but it is very difficult to say as the forest is thick”, said the General.
A Srinagar based Army spokesman said that Army received information about the presence of three militants in Kooligam forests of Lolab last night and launched an operation. He said that operation was launched by 31 RR and 18 RR of Army at around 2 a.m. He said that between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. Army laid cordoned and during the searches of the area, an army patrol was fired upon from the nearby forests resulting in the injury to one Army personnel. “The Army jawan later succumbed to injuries while being evacuated to hospital”, he said. Sources identified the Army personnel as Govind Singh.
Sources said that the operation was launched by 18 RR, 31 RR and Special Operations Group (SOG) Sogam in Lolab forests. After the killing of army commando 47 RR, 41 RR, 28 RR joined the operation while 27 RR has laid an outer cordon in Yemberalwari to prevent militants from fleeing the area.
Sources said that Army has launched searches in adjacent villages as they have inputs that the militants might have fled towards the villages near the forest area. They said a massive operation is under way against the militants responsible for the killing of the Army man.
The army commando was killed a day after army foiled a major infiltration bid in Keran sector of North Kashmir by killing 5 infiltrating militants. One Army personnel was also killed when an Army patrol was fired upon by militants in Uri sector near the Line of Control.
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