Lt. Col. among three soldiers injured in fresh firing in Pulwama

SRINAGAR — A lieutenant colonel and two other Army soldiers were injured in fresh firing in an ongoing encounter at Pinglena area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Monday.

Two militants and four soldiers including an officer of Major rank were killed and three other soldiers were injured during the initial phase of the firefight. A civilian Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat (46) was also killed during the gunfight.

Sources said that there was a lull for some time before fresh firing started in which an Army Lieutenant Colonel and two soldiers were injured and they were evacuated to Army’s 92 base hospital at Badamibagh here.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police – South Kashmir range, Amit Kumar earlier said that two militants were killed in the operation. He said that the bodies of the slain militants have been recovered along with as many weapons and other war-like stores.

An Army spokesman also confirmed the death of four soldiers including an officer of Major rank. He said that the identity and group affiliation of the slain militants are being ascertained.

The police officer earlier said that the gunfight broke out at Monday morning after a joint team of Army’s 55 RR, SOG and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search operation following “credible inputs” about the presence of two to three militants in the area.

Massive clashes are also going on near the encounter site, the official said. (GNS)