Failing the desperate attempt of terrorists to strike in a big way on Independence Day, the security forces on Sunday eliminated two out of five militants, who had ambushed an Army convoy on August 11 resulting into the killing of two civilians, in a raging gunbattle in Thannamandi area of Rajouri district on Sunday.
However, Army jawan Kishore Kumar Singha of 38 Rashtriya Rifles died while three persons, including Major Sushil Mahapatra of 38 Rashtriya Rifles, sustained critical chest injuries in the fierce encounter, which was still on till the last reports poured in.
BGS 16 Corps Headquarters Brigadier Satish Dua too has confirmed a fatal casualty and injuries to a Major in the ongoing encounter.
Meanwhile, the forces also recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition in district Doda and district Rajouri in two separate operations to foil attempts to disrupt I-Day celebrations.
Defence sources maintained that acting on a tip-off about the presence of group of around five militants, a joint search operation was launched by 38 Rashtriya Rifles troops and the Special Operation Group of police in Sheruwala forest in Thannamandi tehsil of Rajouri on Saturday morning. The militants, believed to be three in number, had opened indiscriminate fire from there automatic weapons on the approaching column of security forces, which also retaliated.
The exchange of fire between the militants and troops continued for half an hour and thereafter the militants, hiding in dense maize fields and thick forests taking advantage of adverse weather conditions, managed to escape on Saturday.