Two soldiers killed as anti-terror op in Kulgam enters ninth day

The Army said Lance Naik Pritpal Singh and Sepoy Harminder Singh were killed in an intense gunfight on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.

“Their courage and dedication will forever inspire us. The Indian Army expresses deepest condolences and stands in solidarity with the bereaved families,” the Army’s Valley-based Chinar Corps said in a post on X.

J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also paid tribute to the soldiers.

“I salute the indomitable courage of our bravehearts L/Nk Pritpal Singh and Sep Harminder Singh, who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the motherland. Their valour, grit and determination will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief,” Sinha said.

Chief Minister Abdullah visited the Chinar Corps headquarters in Srinagar, where he laid a wreath for the soldiers. “Chief Minister laid the wreath and paid rich tribute to the brave soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice at Kulgam,” the CM’s Office said in a post on X.

For the last nine days, a joint team of forces has been combing the forests of Akhal in Kulgam to track a group of militants hiding in the area.

Police sources said that as the forces moved further into the dense forest at night, they came under intense fire from terrorists. In the initial exchange of sudden fire, four soldiers were injured. Two of them subsequently succumbed to their injuries.

Six soldiers have been injured over the last nine days of intermittent gunfights. A terrorist was killed on the first day of the encounter.

Sources said that the dense forest and tough terrain of the Akhal area necessitated slow and cautious movement by soldiers, thereby prolonging the operation.

They also said they had information about the presence of four to five terrorists in the area, out of which one was killed. “The gunmen seem to be highly motivated and trained in jungle warfare,” a police officer said. “From their level of motivation and the level of training, it is almost certain that they are Pakistani terrorists.”

On August 1, a joint team of forces cordoned off Akhal and the surrounding forests after getting information about the presence of militants in the area. After an initial exchange of fire, in which an unidentified militant was killed on the first day, security forces sent reinforcements to Akhal. As the operation continued, the Army pressed drones, unmanned armed vehicles (UAVs) and helicopters into service to track the militants.

Sources said that the Akhal forests are not just dense, but also connected to many other parts of south Kashmir. “The reinforcements are moving towards the encounter site from different directions,” said a police officer. “This way, we are planning to cut their escape routes and corner them into a small area.”