2 armymen killed in shootout with militants

Two armymen, including a Major, were killed on Monday in a shootout with militants near the Line of Control in Kupwara, 120 km northwest of Srinagar. Three of the militants were also killed.

Two armymen, including a Major, were killed on Monday in a shootout with militants near the Line of Control in Kupwara, 120 km northwest of Srinagar. Three of the militants were also killed.

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“The army received information about the presence of militants in the region on May 7 and since then has been engaged in an operation to flush them out,” said Col S Brar, army spokesman.

The encounter began on Sunday. On Monday morning, Sepoy Jagtar Singh of 23 Punjab was hit by a militant’s bullet. Major R V Raman, who rushed to help him, was shot too. “Both of them died later,” said Brar.

An AK-47 rifle and two pistols were recovered from the dead militants.

This was the second major encounter in the same area this year. The first, in the Hajibal forests of Kupwara, lasted five days from March 20 to 24. The death toll then was 17 terrorists and eight armymen, including another major.

The Lashkar-e-Toiba claimed responsibility for the earlier encounter.