Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): A colonel, one Major and two soldiers of the Indian Army were killed along with a police officer during a 16-hour long gunfight at Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, officials said on Sunday.
According to the officials, two militants were also gunned down during the gunfight which started at around 3 pm on Saturday in Chanjmulla area of Handwara.
"Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, Major Anuj, a Lance Naik, a rifleman and J&K police sub-inspector Shakeel Qazi were killed during a heavy exchange of fire with militants holed up in a house, " Colonel Rajesh Kalia, defence spokesperson based in Srinagar, told ETV Bharat while sharing details on the 16-hour-long gunfight situation.
The spokesperson said that the commanding officer of 21 Rashtriya Rifles along with four other security personnel had entered a house to rescue people trapped inside after the firing had stopped for some time.
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"Finally, today morning two militants were gunned gown, their bodies have been recovered and the trapped civilians are safe after the evacuation, " he said, adding that the weather, terrain and civilians were a disadvantage for the Army.
The gunfight started on Saturday afternoon when a joint team of Army along with CRPF and J&K Police's SOG launched an operation in the Rajwar forests following a tip-off about the presence of militants in the area. The militants emerged, fired and hid inside a house.
