Kupwara gunfight: Toll reaches 9 as fierce fighting continues
Srinagar: With the killing of one more militant and four forces’ personnel, the death toll in the ongoing gunfight between militants and the government forces in Halmatpora area of the frontier district of Kupwara has mounted to nine.
Yesterday army had claimed to have killed four militants while police had recovered only three bodies. However with the recovery of fourth body today and killing of another militant, the death toll of militants killed in the encounter has reached five while four forces’ personnel have also been killed in the encounter.
Director General of Police (DGP), Shesh Pal Vaid informed that the body of fourth militant was recovered from the gunfight site of Kupwara.
Earlier, two army soldiers and as many SOG personnel were killed in the ongoing encounter with militants which takes the total death toll to nine including five militants and four forces personnel.
The deceased soldiers have been identified as Mohammad Ashraf Rather and Naik Ranjeet Singh of 160 battalion TA while two SOG men as Mohammad Yousuf Cheche (SPO) of Kachama, Kupwara and Deepak Pandit of Nagrota, Jammu. All of them were critically injured and taken to medical institute at the nearby army camp where all of them succumbed to injuries.
Sources said that two more SOG men including Sub Inspector Harvinder Singh, army soldier and CRPF personnel were injured.
KV Correspondent
