Indian Army spokesperson said that the army’s five “best soldiers” were killed.
Srinagar: Eight Indian army personnel, including five Junior Commissioned Officers from elite para forces, were killed in a five-day-long gunfight with Kashmiri fighters along the ceasefire line in northern Kashmir’s Kupwara woods in Keran sector.
The death toll of Indian army personnel jumped to eight after three more personnel, who were injured in the gunfight, succumbed to their injuries at a military hospital, a local news gathering agency reported.
The dead among the army men include Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) from elite Para forces.
Besides the army men, five Kashmiri fighters were also killed in the gunfight, which continued for five days reaching. Three of the five fighters, reports said, belong to the southern part of the Indian occupied Kashmir valley while two others are residents of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Quoting sources a pro-government local news agency, GNS, reported that while one army man died on the spot, a number of others were injured in the fierce gunbattle in the woods.
Four of the injured personnel including JCO’s from elite para force succumbed to injuries on Sunday while three others died at an army hospital on Monday.
Sources said that on Saturday evening, the fourth day of the gunfight, the army had rushed elite 4-para troopers to Rangdoori, Guguldara and Teen Behak area of Jumgund.
The operation was launched initially by the Indian army’s 8 JAT after intercepting the movement of a group of Kashmiri fighters on Wednesday.
The joint search operation was conducted by the joint teams of army’s 41 RR, 57 RR, 160 TA and the dreaded SOG of Jammu and Kashmir police. The SOG mostly comprises of the renegades who are recruited by the Jammu and Kashmir police to counter the massive pro-freedom sentiment in the region.
In a statement, an Indian Army spokesperson Rajesh Kalia said that the army killed five “militants”.
The spokesperson said that the Indian Army launched an operation at the ceasefire line and engaged “militants” in a Close Quarter Battle in heavy snow, killing the “militants”.
He said five of the Army’s “best soldiers”, were killed.
