Massive search op on in Kupwara, soldier martyred, 2 injured

Srinagar, Nov 22: A massive search operation continued on Wednesday in the frontier district of Kupwara, where a soldier was martyred and two others were injured when militants attacked security forces who were conducting searches yesterday.

Three Pakistani militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) were killed in a fierce encounter by security forces in another encounter in the district on Tuesday. A defence ministry spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia that there was no change in the situation as security forces continued search operation at Zirhama, Kupwara. 'We have lost a soldier and two others were injured in the encounter so far,' he said. He said following specific information about presence of militants at Zirhama in Kupwara, a joint search operation was launched by 21 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), 98 battalion of CRPF and Special Operations Group (SOG) of state police in the area. However, when security forces were moving towards a particular area, the militants hiding there, fired at them with automatic weapons. “Three Army jawans were injured in the exchange of fire,” he said, adding that one of them later succumbed. Col Kalia said additional security forces had already been rushed from nearby camps and all exit points sealed to foil any militant attempt to escape. Details are awaited, he said. UNI