Few civilians had been taken hostage by the militants at a house. The Army team, based on intelligence input, reached the area and tried to rescue civilians. A gun battle between security forces and terrorists began on Saturday.
Two terrorists were also gunned down in the encounter at the Chanjmulla area of Handwara, in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, officials said.
“Four Indian Army personnel including the Commanding Officer, Major of 21 Rashtriya Rifles unit along with two soldiers and one Jammu and Kashmir Police jawan lost their lives in an encounter in Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir,” Army officials said.
“Based on the intelligence input that terrorists were taking the civilian inmates of a house in Changimulla, Handwara of Kupwara district hostage, a joint operation was launched by Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police
. A team comprising five Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel entered the target area occupied by the terrorists to evacuate the civilians,” said an Army spokesperson.
“During the process, the team was subjected to heavy volume of fire by the terrorists. In the ensuing fire fight two terrorists were eliminated and the team of five army and J&K personnel comprising two Army officers, two Army soldiers and one J&K Police Sub Inspector attained martyrdom.” the spokesperson added.
The 21 Rashtriya Rifles Commanding Officer, identified as Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, lost his life in the operation. Colonel Sharma had been part of several successful counter-terrorism operations in the past, Army officials said.
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