Srinagar: Six more terrorists were killed taking the death toll in the fierce gunbattle between terrorists and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district to 25 as the five-day-long stand-off ended on Tuesday evening.
Seventeen terrorists and eight Army personnel, including a Major, were killed in the encounter which began on March 20 on higher reaches of the Shamsabari range in Harfada forest, a defence spokesman said.
Four soldiers and five terrorists were killed on Monday while an ultra died a day before. On Saturday, four troops, including Major Mohit Sharma, and two insurgents, were killed.
On the first day, three terrorists were mowed down by the security forces.
The spokesman refuted reports appearing in some sections of the media that helicopter gunships were used during the operation, saying the rugged terrain in the area precluded use of any heavy weapons.
"We refute reports appearing in some sections of media that helicopter gunships were used in Kupwara gunbattles. Such type of rugged terrain in the area preclude use of any heavy weapons," Army spokesman Lt Col Biplap Nath said.
"In this operation, minimum collateral damage to property was caused," he said.
A huge cache of arms and ammunition, including 17 AK assault rifles, four UBGLs, 19 UBGL grenades and two hand grenades, was recovered from the possession of the slain terrorists, the spokesman said, adding the operation witnessed fierce gun fight between the troops and the terrorists.
On being asked whether the group was an infiltrating column, he said it most likely consisted of an infiltrating column as well as terrorists who had come to receive them.
Nath said "the operation was based on sound intelligence inputs".
Comments
0 comment