Two soldiers, 2 militants killed in Kulgam's forest

Srinagar: Two Army men and two militants were killed while another soldier was injured on Monday in an ongoing encounter in Kulgam district of southern Kashmir.

Officials said based on specific intelligence input from J&K Police, a joint search operation was launched by the Army, police and CRPF in the Guddar forest area of Kulgam. "Vigilant troops observed suspicious activity and upon being challenged, terrorists opened fire, prompting a fierce exchange of gunfire," read the statement of Srinagar-based Chinar Corps of the Army.

During the operation, two soldiers - Sub Perbhat Gaur and Lance Naik Narender Sindhu - and an Army Major were injured in the gunfight, the officials said. Gaur and Sindhu succumbed to their injuries. The officer's condition is stated to be stable. A tweet by Chinar Corps said that it "honours the supreme sacrifice of the bravehearts, Sub Perbhat Gaur and L/Nk Narender Sindhu, in line of duty for the Nation".


The officials said that one of the militants killed during the encounter was a foreign infiltrator.

The police and Army have maintained that despite the ceasefire since February 2021, several infiltrators have managed to cross the Line of Control and international border, and are active in Jammu and some parts of Kashmir. They maintain the foreign infiltrators remain "a major challenge" for the security grid.