Srinagar: Five militants and as many soldiers including a JCO from army’s elite para force were killed on the fifth day of an ongoing operation in the woods of Kupwara district in north Kashmir on Sunday.

Defence ministry spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said that the slain militants were infiltrators and that the operation was still going on.

In a statement issued here, he confirmed the killing of three soldiers and injuries to several others. However, reliable sources told that two among the injured soldiers, one among them a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) succumbed to injuries at Badamibagh army hospital where they were removed from difficult terrains amid hostile weather conditions in Kupwara. All the killed army soldiers as well as three other injured in the gunfight, sources said, are mainly from elite para force.

“In ongoing anti-infiltration operation in Keran Sector of north Kashmir, alert troops braving inclement weather and hostile terrain have so far eliminated five militants attempting to infiltrate across the Line of Control (LoC) taking advantage of bad weather,” Col Kalia said.

Kalia said that three soldiers were killed—one of them on the spot while two others succumbed to critical injuries later on. Police sources said that bodies of the militants were so far not handed over by the army to police. “The army informed us that bodies could not be recovered so far due to difficult terrain and inclement weather,” a police officer told.

On fourth day of the operation on Saturday evening, the army rushed elite para troopers to Rangdoori, Guguldara and Teen Behak area of Jumgund. Sources said that firing continued throughout the night, reaching at peak wee hours of today.

The operation was launched initially by army’s 8 JAT after intercepting movement a group of militants on Wednesday. Besides, they said, the searches continued along Awaoora, Kumkadi, Zurhuma, Safawali, Batpora, Haihama areas by the joint team of army’s 41 RR, 57 RR, 160 TA and SOG Kupwara. (GNS)