A top LashkareToiba (LeT) militant and three soldiers were killed, while six jawans and a civilian were injured in an encounter in Bandipora District on February 14 (today), reports Daily Excelsior. On a tipoff, the Army, Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched a joint search operation at Parray Mohalla Hajan in the District at 0300 hrs. However, when the Security Forces (SFs) were sealing the area in the village, militants hiding there opened fire with automatic weapons and hurled hand grenades. In the ensuing encounter, nine soldiers were injured out of which three of them are reported to have succumbed to injuries. In the return fire, a militant was killed. The slain militant was identified as Abu Haris, a top commander of LeT. Read less...
The Commanding Officer of the CRPF, Chetan Kumar Cheetah, was grievously injured in the encounter and his condition is stated to be critical. The SFS returned the fire killing one militant who has been identified as Abu Haris, a top ‘commander’ of LeT. Srinagar based Defence Ministry spokesman, Lt Col Rajesh Kalia told Excelsior that one militant and three soldiers were killed and five others were injured in the encounter. He said that the condition of the injured is stated to be stable. He identified the Army men killed in the gun battle as Dharmendera Kumar of Pataliya, Uttarakhand; Rifleman Ravi Kumar of Meen Sarkar Tabela of Samba and Gunner Astosh Kumar of Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Read less...