SRINAGAR: An Army Major died while another officer of the same rank and two soldiers were injured in a gunfight at Bidoora village, in Achabal area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district, on Monday, a defence spokesman said. A Pakistani terrorist was killed in the encounter.
Saif Ali Khan Health Update
Major Ketan Sharma of 19
Rashtriya Rifles
, who died in the
Achabal encounter
, belonged to Meerut. A police officer said they had found the body of a Pakistani terrorist and seized arms and ammunition from the encounter site. The identity of the slain terrorist was being ascertained.
In another attack, at least nine Army soldiers were injured in an
IED blast
that targeted a security vehicle of 44 RR at Aarihal village in Pulwama on Monday evening. Those injured in the Achabal gunfight and IED blast were rushed to the Army's 92 Base hospital in Srinagar, officials said.
In the third attack in 24 hours, terrorists lobbed a grenade at the headquarters of the 180
CRPF battalion camp in Tral sub-district of Pulwama late on Monday evening. The grenade exploded outside the headquarters. No casualties have been reported.
The first attack happened on Monday morning when a team of security men was on a cordon-and-search operation in Achabal. Terrorists fired at the team, who then retaliated.
In the Pulwama attack, the terrorists after setting off the IED, opened fire at the Army vehicle. "Initial reports reveal the vehicle suffered extensive damage," the official said. Three of the soldiers injured in the blast were said to be serious, sources said. Soon after the attack, Army, police and
SOG
reinforcements were rushed to the spot and a massive search operation was launched.
A defence spokesman, however, said some of the men sustained minor injuries in the IED blast. Damage was minimal due to the alertness of the patrol party, he said. The vehicle was an armoured ALS and not a Casspir (a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle), he added.