Army Colonel killed in Kashmir encounter

Another soldier from the Territorial Army battalion was injured in the exchange of gunfire.

Mahadik, who led several successful operations against militants in the area, is survived by his wife and two children, aged 5 and 11. He hailed from Maharashtra and was commissioned into the Army in 1998.

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He had received the Sena medal for exhibiting gallantry and leadership in counter-terrorist operations, a defence spokesperson said.

The Army’s RR unit, the Para Commandos and the police had launched an operation in Haihama forests after they received information about the presence of militants in the area. During the operation, militants hiding in the forest opened fire on the Army patrol. The operation had been on since Saturday, when a soldier was killed by militants in the area.

‘’He was a brave soldier and had been awarded the Sena medal. He was from the Army’s elite Para unit,” said an Army spokesperson.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, too, paid tribute to the Colonel, saying, “We are proud of young officers like him who lead from the front and do not hesitate to sacrifice their lives to protect the nation.”

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command Lt Gen DS Hooda said, “We owe a deep debt of gratitude to officers like Santosh who lead from the front and are willing to pay the ultimate price in the fight against terrorism.”

Mahadik is the second Commanding Officer to have been killed in the Valley this year. In January, Colonel M N Rai was killed in an encounter with militants in south Kashmir’s Tral area.

The Army said reinforcements had been sent to the area to track down the militants.