Srinagar/May,3 : Two army officers—a colonel, major, two army men and a police sub-inspector were on Sunday morning killed in a nightlong gunfight in Handwara area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. Two militants were also killed in the gunbattle, army officials said today.
Reports said a fierce gun battle between the militants and government forces broke out on Saturday in the late evening hours in Changimul area of Handawara where joint teams of forces laid a siege in the area on the basis of a specific inputs about the presence of militants hiding in the area.
Defence Spokesman in Srinagar, Colonel Rajesh Kalia said based on the intelligence inputs about the militants taking the civilian inmates of a house in Changimula, Handwara as hostages, joint operation was launched by army and the police,adding that “a team comprising five army and JK police officers entered the house to evacuate the civilians but the militants fired upon the team triggering heavy exchange of fire. Two militants were killed.” He said “two army officers -a colonel and a major, two soldiers and one JK police sub-inspector were also killed”.
Defence sources said that the operation was concluded and the bodies of two slain militants have been recovered from the site of encounter. The bodies of slain army officers, soldiers and the police officer have also been retrieved.
The operation started by the army’s 15 and 21 RR while as the para commandos of 9 para were also rushed to the spot. A house where militants were hiding was also damaged in the gunfight
