Colonel, Major among 5 security personnel Killed in Handwara encounter

Two militants were also killed in the encounter

Two militants were also killed in the encounter

Srinagar, May 03 (KNS): Two senior army officers of colonel and major rank were among five security personnel killed in gunbattle in Handwara area of North Kashmir.

Two militants were also killed in the encounter.

They have been identified as colonel Ashutosh Sharma of 19 Guards company of 21 RR and Major Anuj Sood of same unit besides Sub Inspector of SOG wing of J&K police Shakeel Qazi and Naik Rajesh and Lance Naik Dinesh of 21 RR.

According to sources, the operation was launched at around 3:30 PM in Changimul village of Handwara after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in a house. The joint team of forces had also a brief exchange of fire with the militant group on Friday and had managed to escape.

" We were trying to track them after the earlier day brief firing. As we got inputs about their presence in a house in Changimul village, a joint team of forces was rushed who cordoned off the suspected spot, during the heavy exchange of fire a joint team who tried to storm the house were killed in the action.

We also received bodies of two militants also," he told KNS.

Meanwhile army spokesperson said that "based on the intelligence input that militants were taking the civilian inmates of a house in Changimul, Handwara of Kupwara district hostage, a joint operation was launched by Army and JK Police on 2 May 2020. A team comprising of five Army and JK Police personnel entered the target area occupied by the militants to evacuate the civilians. The team of Army and JK Police entered the target area, and successfully extricated the civilians." The spokesperson further said that during the process, the team was subjected to heavy volume of fire by the militants.

" In the ensuing fire fight, two militants were eliminated and the team of five Security Forces Personnel comprising of two Army officers, two Army soldiers and one JK Police Sub Inspector also attained martyrdom in the service of nation," statement reads.

It is important to mention that Colonel Rajinder Chauhan was also killed in an encounter on 21 August 2000 in the area. Meanwhile five militants and five Armen were killed in aan encounter in Keran sector of Kupwara after army foiled an infiltration bid near line of control (LOC).
He had been part of several successful anti-militancy operations in the past. Colonel Sharma was the only commanding officer to have been decorated for gallantry a second time in Kashmir, officials told KNS.

To Top