J&K: 4 defence personnel, 3 militants killed in encounter in Machil sector

Three Army men and a BSF jawan were killed in an encounter that broke out on Sunday morning, after terrorists tried to infiltrate the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Machil sector in Kupwara district. Three militants were also gunned down by the security forces, a defence spokesperson said in a statement.

Around 1 am, a BSF patrol noticed suspicious movement around 3.5 km from the LoC, defence spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia said. An encounter soon broke out, in which one of the terrorists was killed. A BSF soldier was also killed in action. The firing stopped at 4 am.

Following this, reinforcements were rushed to the area. Firing resumed at 10.20 am at approximately 1.5 km from the LoC. In the ensuing firefight, two more terrorists were killed. The Indian side also saw three more casualties. Two of the injured soldiers have been evacuated.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha paid tributes to the security personnel who attained martyrdom, and offered his deepest condolences to their families.

The Nation will always remain indebted to brave hearts who have laid down their lives for providing safe and secure environment to our people, he said.