Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 5

Five soldiers were killed while fighting highly-trained infiltrators in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, the first major counter-infiltration operation along the LoC this year. Also, five militants were shot.

A fierce gunfight broke out on Saturday evening in the snowbound Ringdori forest area of Keran, 120 km from Srinagar, while the Army was looking for a group of infiltrators who fled after a brief exchange of fire on April 1. The Army cordoned a

4-square km area to ensure that the militants did not escape towards Pakistan.

Para commandos were airdropped at strategic locations to trace them. As combing was underway, the hiding militants opened fire. In the ensuing gunfight, five militants and three soldiers were killed. Two more soldiers were critically injured. They later succumbed to injuries.

“Alert troops, braving inclement weather and a hostile terrain, have so far eliminated five terrorists attempting to infiltrate across the LoC,” defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia told the media, adding that the operation was still underway.

The police claimed the slain militants were associated with Lashkar-e-Toiba.

In the past 24 hours, nine militants have been killed in two gunfights. On Saturday, four local militants were killed in Kulgam district.