A soldier was killed in a gunbattle near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district, officials said.
The “intense but brief exchange” of fire occurred around 3:30 am in the Churanda area of the Uri sector. Officials said the soldier sustained critical injuries during the encounter and later succumbed to injuries.
It was not immediately clear whether it was a Border Action Team (BAT) attack or an infiltration bid that was foiled in Churanda area of Uri sector.
Official sources said the exchange of fire occurred amid inclement weather and a massive combing operation in the forward area is still underway.
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Vidhi Kumar Birdi said that details about the ongoing operation in Uri would be shared later.
“We just got to know about this issue because it is a LoC ( Line of Control) related issue. So, it will take some time… We will clarify it (once there is more information),” Birdi told reporters in Srinagar.
There is no official word so far from the Army on the gunbattle in Uri.
The LoC gunbattle comes four days after two soldiers of the elite counter insurgency unit of Army were killed and two were injured in a fierce gunfight in Akhal forests of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
IGP Birdi said the Akhal operation has been concluded. This was one of the longest anti-terror operations in recent years in Kashmir that lasted for 12 days. A terrorist was killed during the Akhal operation at the initial stage.
