Forces lose contact with CO, two officers and a soldier in Handwara gunfight

Majid Jahangir
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, May 2

An anti-militancy operation in north Kashmir Handwara sub district took a new turn Saturday evening as forces lost contact with four of its men including the Commanding Officer of an Army’s counter-insurgency unit, though security forces are not confirming it officially.

Top sources said a Commanding Officer of a Rashtriya Rifles unit, another Army officer, a J&K police officer, and a soldier are stuck in a house in Chanjimullah village where militants were hiding.  

“There has been no contact with the team for the last several hours,” the sources said, “The militants were in possession of the communication device. The phone of a senior army officer is also with the terrorists”.

They added the Army has engaged the elite para commandoes to flush out the militants, whose number is believed to be four.  

A senior Army officer in Srinagar said the operation is in progress and that details would be shared once the operation is over.

The operation in Handwara forest began on Friday after militants and joint teams of forces exchanged brief firing at Waderbala. Forces continued combing operation in the area and today a fresh contact was established at around 3 pm in Chanjimullah, nearly 3 km away from Waderbala.

Srinagar-based defence spokesman did not respond.

Meanwhile, two unidentified militants were killed in another gunfight in South Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday, said police.

The encounter erupted this morning when joint teams of forces launched a cordon and a search operation in Dangerpora village Pulwama following an input about the presence of militants.

“The CASO converted into an encounter when hiding militant opened fire. The forces retaliated, leading to an encounter. In the operation, two terrorists were killed and arms and ammunition were recovered,” said a police officer in South Kashmir.

The identity and group affiliation of militants could not be ascertained immediately.

Reports of stone-pelting during the encounter also surfaced.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, at least 27 militants and two of their associates have been killed in nearly a dozen operations.