Lt Colonel injured in encounter with militants in J-K

A senior army officer was critically wounded in an on-going operation in the forest area of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lieutenant Colonel SK Natt was evacuated to a hospital for treatment.

A gunfight had re-erupted on Sunday in the Manigah forest area near Hyhama in the course of intense army and police searches going on for the past over a week.

Last week, commanding officer, Col Santosh Mahadik of 41 Rashtriya Rifles was killed while leading his troops in a fierce encounter with the group of three terrorists in the same area.

“An officer was injured in the ongoing operation today,” a senior army officer said.

Army troops and Special Forces along with the police have been jointly combing the forest area for more than a week now.

According to police sources, there have been occasional fire exchanges between the troops and the hiding militants. The army has also been using helicopters to comb the forest area.