AMN / WEB DESK
Two senior Army officers – a Commanding Officer (CO) of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), a Major, and also a DSP of J&K Police – were killed on Wednesday in an encounter with terrorists in South Kashmir’s Kokernag in Anantnag district. Srinagar based Chinar Corps said in the morning that two Army and a J&K Police personnel were injured.
The martyred officers have been identified as Colonel Manpreet Singh CO of 19 RR, Major Ashish Dhonchak and DSP Humayun Bhat.
Army helicopters were rushed to evacuate the injured officers to the Srinagar based military hospital.
The gunfight erupted during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday after a joint team of police and Army launched a counter insurgency operation at Garol village of Kokernag area in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
The operation was set in motion based on specific intelligence pinpointing the presence of terrorists within Garol, said a spokesperson of Indian Army’s Chinar Corps based in Srinagar.
DGP Dilbag Singh has condoled the martyrdom of the braveheart officers of J&K Police and Army.
He said that he was deeply saddened by the terrible loss of three young bravehearts Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonack of 19 RR and DySP Humayun Muzamil Bhat, son of retired IG of J&K Police Ghulam Hassan Bhat.
The DGP has said that every loss of life is unfortunate adding that perpetrators of the criminal act would be brought to justice soon.
In another encounter in Jammu’s Rajouri district, an Army Rifleman of 63 RR, Ravi Kumar was killed on Tuesday evening. Two Pakistani terrorists have been killed and three other Army soldiers and a police PSO have been injured in the encounter.
Meanwhile, GOC 15 Corps, Lt General Rajiv Ghai, DGP Dilbagh Singh, ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar along with other senior officers flew to the gunfight spot in Kokernag to personally monitor the ongoing operation.
Additional troops have been rushed to the encounter spot.
The encounter in Kokernag broke out in the Gadole area when a joint team of Army and Police launched a cordon and search operation following intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists.
The officers received bullet injuries during the initial exchange of fire. They were immediately rushed to the hospital.
Meanwhile, Nagrota based White Knight Corps of the Army in a wreath laying ceremony saluted the supreme sacrifice of Rifleman Ravi during Rajouri encounter.
The joint operation in Rajouri village started on Tuesday when the Indian Army and JKP monitored and tracked movement of two terrorists since 7 September.
One terrorist was killed on Tuesday and another on Wednesday. Despite bad weather and hostile terrain, the second terrorist was pursued and neutralized after heavy firing throughout the night.
A large quantity of warlike stores have been recovered, including Pakistan marking medicines. An Army tracker dog also laid down her life, said a defence spokesman.
Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi said, Pakistan is trying to send foreign terrorists to create disturbance in Jammu and Kashmir. He also said that they would not let Pakistan succeed in its nefarious designs.