KV Correspondent

Two militants killed in Gurez, Army officer shot dead by junior

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Two militants were killed as Indian troops repulsed an infiltration bid along Gurez sector today while an army officer died after being shot dead by a junior rank official following an altercation between them.

Elsewhere, Pakistani Army violated the ceasefire along Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district by targeting the forward Indian army posts on Tuesday. Some of the residential areas also came under the line of fire.

State government continued with the closure of schools and Sub Divisional Magistrate, Rahul Yadav, ordered closure of 12 schools lying near LoC in Balakote with immediate effect till further orders. He said that this was done as the situation along the border continued to remain “sensitive’’ and tense.

The reports came in today that the Pakistani army violated the ceasefire  this morning in Balakote and Mendhar sectors of Poonch. A vehicle bearing no JK12 – 1319 was damaged in the shelling from Pakistani side in Sandote area of Balakote sector, but no loss of life was reported.

In Gurez, defence officials said, the toll in ongoing gunfight in the area in Bandipora district mounted to two. Earlier only one militant was killed, but later during the day in the exchange of gunfire, army officials said that another militant was also gunned down.  Srinagar based defence spokesman, Rajesh Kalia, told Kashmir Vision that another militant was killed in Gurez. “Total two militants have been killed so far. Operation is in progress,” he said.

An official said that fresh exchange of fire resumed at around 10 am near Bagtore area of Gurez and two weapons were recovered.

Meanwhile, army sources said that the officer of the Rashtriya Rifles was shot dead by a jawan following an altercation between the two in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

The officer was shot dead after the jawan got enraged for being reprimanded for using the cell phone during the duty hours.

According to officials the officer Major Shikhar Thapa, belonged to the 71 armored regiment but was attached to 8 Rashtriya Rifles, army’s elite counter-insurgency unit deployed in Uri close to the line of control.

Following the incident Army has taken a stringent note of it and a “court of inquiry has been ordered.’’ The incidents of fratricidal killings and the shoot-outs at the army units were very high during peak of militancy, but have reduced now.

In 2014, an army jawan killed five of his colleagues and later shot himself dead at an army camp in Ganderbal district. The jawans belonged to the 13 Rashtriya Rifles and were posted at the Mansabal camp.

Meanwhile, an army man was killed and another injured in firing from across the border in Nowshera tehsil of Rajouri district.

An official said that Pakistani army opened fire on Indian army in Nowshera sector.

“Our troopers effectively responded to the firing from across the border,” he said.

Sepoy Jaspreet Singh was grievously injured and succumbed to his injuries.

Two soldiers were injured in the exchange of fire. “One of them identified as sepoy Jaspreet Singh (24) succumbed.”


KV Correspondent

Kashmir Correspondent cover all daily updates for the newspaper

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