Lt Col among 5 GREF killed in ambush in Kishtwar

Jammu, Jun 13 (UNI) Militants today killed five officials of General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), including a Lieutenant Colonel of Army and two jawans in Chhatru area of hilly Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir.

A team of GREF officials working for project BEACON, who had gone to conduct the inspection of under-construction Chhatru-Simthan road, was ambushed by militants at Watsar.

''Commanding officer Lt Col Ajay Verma of 118 RCC (Road Construction Company) of project BEACON and his deputy S P Sharma were killed in militant attack 1730 hrs,'' Defence Ministry spokesman Lt Col S D Goswami confirmed to UNI.

Two jawans of 155 TA battalion and the driver, who were accompany the officers, were also killed in the attack, the spokesman said.

Immediately after the attack was reported, the troops from nearby units were dispatched to the spot. A search operation was launched to hunt down the escaped militants, Lt Col Goswami said.

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