Srinagar
In occupied Kashmir, two senior army officers and a Sub-Inspector of police were among five Indian forces’ personnel killed in a gunfight with the mujahideen in Chanjimulla Handwara, a forest area in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, on Sunday. Two mujahideen were also martyred in the gunfight.
The military authorities have said, initially an Indian Colonel namely Ashutosh Sharma, a Major namely Anup Sood and two soldiers of 21 Rashtriya Rifles besides a Sub Inspector namely Mohammad Sagier Qazi of IOK Police’s Special Operation Group —moved close to a cowshed near the house where the mujahideen had taken refuge. The five men later lost contact with colleagues on duty.
Consequently, the army rushed more personnel including those from elite para forces to the area in a bid to rescue the men with whom contact was lost and to neutralize the mujahideen.
At last, the apprehension of the Indian military authorities came true as all the five men were found dead.
An army officer confirmed the casualties and said that the bodies of two mujahideen were also recovered. The officer said that a soldier namely Shinbe Mangesh sustained injury in his right leg and was hospitalized.
It is worth mentioning here that 8 Indian Army commandos were killed during an encounter in Zurhama, Keran area of Kupwara district on April 5-6, while four CRPF personnel were killed and several injured in an ambush at Noorbagh near Ahad Bab’s crossing in Sopore town on April 18.
The latest killings brought the total number of Indian forces personnel killed during clashes with the mujahideen to 17 since April 5, this year.—KMS
