A militant attack on an army post in Jammu’s Rajouri district injured a soldier on Sunday even as security forces gunned down two more militants in twin gunfights in Kashmir's Kulgam, taking the death toll of militants to six in the past two days.
Two army soldiers were killed in the two Kulgam gunfights on Saturday. Both the operations continued on Sunday.
Officials said one soldier was injured after militants attacked an army post in Rajouri at Galuthi in Manjakot in the early hours of Sunday. The army retaliated and the gunfight lasted for half an hour following which the militants fled. The security forces conducted a search operation in the area.
It is the fifth militant attack in Jammu in the last one month. Nine pilgrims and a CRPF jawan were killed and dozens were injured in the previous attacks. Four militants were also killed in retaliatory operations.
In Kulgam, the security forces remained busy on Sunday with the two separate encounters. Four militants and two soldiers were killed on Saturday.
Police said two militants trapped in Modergam village in Kulgam were killed on Sunday. One soldier had died in the operation on Saturday.
“There were two encounters at two separate places. The bodies of six terrorists have so far been recovered. The killing obviously is a milestone achievement,” Jammu and Kashmir director-general of police Rashmi Ranjan Swain told reporters on Sunday.
Four militants and a soldier died at Chinigam in Kulgam's Frisal on Saturday. There is the possibility of the presence of more militants there.
Swain said they would be able to ascertain the identities of the slain militants once the operations were over. “As the operations continue, further updates are anticipated,” the DGP added.
Asked about the possibility of local militants being among the dead, the DGP said local involvement underscored the complex challenges faced by the security forces in the region.
Swain said the ongoing operations signified a concerted effort to dismantle militant networks and enhance the overall security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
The army identified the two slain soldiers as elite para-commando Lance Naik Pardeep Kumar and Sepoy Pravin Janjal Prabhakar.
The top Chinar Corps commander, Jammu and Kashmir chief secretary and the DGP paid homage to the deceased.
“Chinar Warriors salute the valour and sacrifice of both bravehearts. We stand in solidarity with the bereaved families and are committed to their well-being,” an army spokesman said.
