JAMMU/SRINAGAR: Army on Wednesday foiled yet another attempt by Pakistan-based terrorists to infiltrate into India by gunning down three infiltrators in Mendhar sector of Poonch district in Jammu region but lost one of its senior officers in the fierce encounter.
"A group of heavily armed terrorists attempted to cross LoC in Sona Gali area of Mendhar sector, about 200km from Jammu, early on Wednesday morning, but were challenged by troops at Rocket post," an Army spokesperson said.
"Major Akash Singh gunned down two terrorists before being hit by a bullet during the encounter which lasted for more than three hours," said the spokesperson, Lt-Col Biplab Nath. Major Singh was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Another militant was killed aro-und 7am, defence sources said.
Major Singh was with Maratha Light Infantry and a resident of Shiv Nagar, Jammu. He is survived by his wife and two children. Lt-Col Nath said that the two slain terrorists belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba but did not give their names. Their bodies have been recovered along with two AK rifles, ammunition and some other items from the encounter site.
‘‘The area has been cordoned off and search-cum-combing operation is on,’’ he added. Brig Gurdeep Singh, commander 16 Corps, told TOI that troops so far have thwarted 24 infiltration bids from across the border this year.
Sources said infiltration was being attempted from across the boundary despite a ceasefire between the two armies and a three-metre-high barbed wire security fence along most of the 742km LoC.
Meanwhile, as the news about Major Singh’s death was flashed on news channels, people reacted with shock and began streaming into the slain officer’s home in Shiv Nagar to condole the bereaved family.
Major killed in Poonch as Army foils infiltrators
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