4 martyred in Anantnag encounter, Another injured soldier died

A soldier who was reported missing since yesterday, has lost his life in the encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag, officials said.

“One more soldier has lost his life in the Anantnag operations. He had been reported missing since yesterday,” Security officials said.

“In joint security operations against terrorists in the Anantnag area, forces dropped grenades on suspected terrorist hide-out locations using drones. Grenade launchers are also being used by troops to target the group of terrorists hiding in the area,” they added.

An Army Colonel commanding a Quick Response Team (QRT) of the Rashtriya Rifles, lost his life in the ongoing gunfight in the Anantnag district. An Army Major and a Deputy Superintendent with the Jammu and Kashmir Police also fell to enemy fire in the Kokernag area.

The slain senior Army officers and the DSP were identified as Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonak, and Humayun Bhat.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, expressed grief over the deaths of the officers in the encounter while also paying tributes to the slain DSP at Budgam on Thursday.

In a separate encounter, two terrorists were gunned down by security forces in the Narla area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri on Tuesday.

Security forces said they recovered warlike stores, including medicines, with Pakistan markings during a search amid the encounter that carried over into Wednesday evening, according to officials.