Three soldiers and militant killed in Hajin encounter

Bandipora, Feb 14: In a fierce gunfight three Indian soldiers died while six others were wounded two of them critically in Parra Mohalla Hajin area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district. The militant was also killed in the gun fight who according to police is a non-local militant affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba.
Police sources told CNS that Government Forces from the Indian Army’s 13 Rashtriya Rifles, 45 Battalion CRPF and the Special Operations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir police cordoned off the Parra Mohalla village in the wee hours of Tuesday. They came under heavy fire from militants holed up in a hideout following which the encounter ensued. “The encounter resulted in the fatal injuries of some of the soldiers including a Major of 13 RR and Commandant 42 Battalion. Later on three soldiers succumbed to their injuries,” he said.
During the post encounter clashes several civilians were injured. Reports said that a large number of youth assembled near encounter site and hurled stone on the government forces. The men in uniform fired tear-smoke shells to disperse them. Reports said that several protesters were injured during these clashes. One of the injured was hit by pellets in his right eye. He has been shifted to SKIMS Soura for treatment, said a health official.
He said that four other youth were discharged after medical aid at CHC Hajin.
An Army official told CNS that 9 security men Major BS Thapa, Sepoy Mukesh Chandra Bhatt, Sepoy Jatinder Singh, Petrolman Sandeep Kumar, Petrolman Ravi Kumar, Sepoy Akhilesh, Sepoy Dharminder Kumar, Sepoy Ajaz Ahmed and Commandant Chetan Chita were injured during the gun fight and later on three succumbed to their injuries. Sources informed that some of the wounded soldiers are critical as they have received fatal injuries.
A police official said that besides other items, an AK 47 rifle was recovered from the possession of deceased militants. (CNS)