2 army officials, 3 militants killed as Shopian encounter ends

An army major, a trooper and three militants were killed in a nearly 24-hour-long gunfight, which ended on Saturday in south Kashmir’s Shopian district.

“On April 26, based on specific intelligence input regarding the presence of three terrorists in Manlo village of Shopian, a joint operation was launched by a Rashtriya Rifles unit and Special Operations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir police,” a defence statement issued said.

“As the troops were in the process of cordoning the suspected house, a heavy volume of fire by the hiding terrorists was effectively retaliated. The intermittent exchange of fire continued through the day and continued till late evening and restarted on morning of April 26.”

 “Keeping the built up area in mind and to avoid any collateral damage, operations were conducted in a very calibrated manner. By late morning of April 26, all the three terrorists were eliminated,” the statement said.

 It said two AK-47 rifles, one pistol and other war like stores were recovered.

“During the operations, fighting valiantly, one army officer and a soldier suffered gunshot wounds and later succumbed to injuries.”

 “The operation assumes importance in the backdrop of recent killing of a polling staff and injury to other five persons, in the same area by the terrorists,” the statement added.

Image: Army personnel rush towards the house where militants were holed up in Shopian district

Photograph: Umar Ganie