4 suspected Islamic militants shot dead, 2 jawans injured in Jammu & Kashmir

Srinagar: Four suspected Islamic militants and an Army official were killed in a fierce gun battle raging in Kalaroos area of Jammu and Kashmir’s frontier Kupwara district since Sunday morning. Another Army jawan died in a similar clash in neighbouring Keran sector, officials said.

Defence sources here said that the fighting broke out in Kalaroos area close to the Line of Control (LoC)  following Army troops spotted a group of six militants on their side of the de facto border. “The heavily armed terrorists were challenged and soon a fire fight broke out between the two sides,” the sources here said adding Army reinforcements have launched a massive operation in the area, 95-km northwest of Srinagar, for the remaining militants who are believed to have escaped.

The sources said that the identity of the slain militants is yet to be ascertained. One soldier, Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh, who was injured during the encounter and later airlifted to 92 Base hospital here succumbed, they added. Another soldier was injured in the clash.

A defence spokesperson said here late Sunday evening that the Army troops had laid an ambush in Kalaroos area on Saturday night following an information about movement of militants in the area. The contact with the group of militants was established on Sunday morning and they were asked to surrender, he said adding that the militants, however, opened firing towards the Army positions and as the fire was returned, a gunbattle ensured that lasted several hours.

He said a search operation was carried out after the gun fire stopped and corpses of four militants were recovered with four AK rifles and some ammunition found on them.

The spokesperson believed the slain militants were believed to be affiliated to Lashkar-e-Tayyaba.