Militant killed in Poonch, gun battle continues

Poonch, July 15 (ANI): A Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed in an encounter with the Army in Beri-Rakh forest in Mendhar area of Poonch district on Thursday.

According to an official, a body of a terrorist has been recovered from the encounter site during search operation.

The anti-terrorist operation was launched by Army's 37 Rashtriya Rifle (RR) troops on inputs about infiltration of a group of 10 to 12 militants in Mankote forest belt on July 13.

During the operation, an Army major was killed and six other security men, including a colonel, injured.

Colonel Ajay Katoch received a bullet injury in his neck, while Major Amit Phunge took the brunt of heavy firing by militants and died on the spot.

The injured included Dinesh Kumar and Satinder Kumar, both Signalmen, Naik Jasbir Singh, Sepoy Samir Kumar and Rifleman Dasharat. (ANI)