Army colonel, soldier, 5 ultras among 10 killed in J

Srinagar, July 31 (UNI) A senior Army officer, a soldier and five militants, including four Pak infiltrators, were among 10 people killed in Jammu and Kashmir overnight.

In other militancy - related incidents across the state, militants kidnapped one person while two youths were rescued from the clutches of ultras and two others were arrested.

A Defence Ministry spokesman, giving details about the incident, said troops guarding the Line of Control (LoC) noticed a group of militants sneaking into this side from Pakistan - Occupied Kashmir near Ghodetal, about 15 km from Uri, under the cover of darkness, late last night.

Commanding Officer of 9 Maratha Light Infantry colonel Vasant V, along with reinforcement rushed to the area to personnely supervise the operation.

He said immediately troops occupied dominating positions and prevented the heavily - armed militants to escape in the dense forest.

Heavy firefight ensued in which Colonel Vasanth personally lead the operation against the militants.

Displaying courage and operational acumen, Col Vasanth poised himself and his party to block the escape routes of entrapped militants. Though wounded, he moved swiftly closer to the hiding place of militants. With little care for his personal safety, the Commanding Officer, leading from the front, gunned down the entrapped militants.

Spokesman said in a point blank face-to-face exchange of heavy volume of fire, Colonel Vasanth, Lance Naik Bachav Shahkant Ganapat and Lance Havildar Ramanna R B were injured.

Three to four militants were killed, he said.

Col Vasanth and Lance Naik Bachav Shahkant Ganapat succumbed to injuries in hospital.

The operations are still in progress when the reports last came in.

This was the second infiltration attempt in the sector since Defence Minister A K Antony visited forward areas in the Jammu and Kashmir last Saturday. Seven infiltrators and their families were arrested by the troops immediately after they sneaked into this side on Saturday.

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