Kupwara attack: CM Mehbooba pays tribute to martyred soldiers

Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh on Thursday had said that the Union government is prepared to give befitting reply to Pakistan as it had ruined the atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu, April 27: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Deputy CM Nirmal Singh on Thursday paid rich tribute to a Captain and two other soldiers who were killed in an encounter on Tuesday morning in Kupwara district.

She extended her heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of the soldiers and expressed anguish over the death of a civilian during the day in the area. Three heavily armed terrorists stormed an army camp in Kupwara district of Kashmir, killing a Captain and two other soldiers before two of the assailants were gunned down in a fierce 35-minute encounter.

Soon after the encounter, a mob started pelting stones at the security forces, leading to a clash in which a 75-year-old civilian was killed due to a bullet injury.

In a statement, Mehbooba said, "An unending cycle of violence has got unleashed in our society which is devouring it and pushing Kashmir towards darkness."

She appealed the people to come forward in bringing this "cycle of violence" to an end and help the government in its efforts of restoring normalcy and peace in the valley.

Singh, while paying tributes to the soldiers killed in the encounter, said they have rendered the ultimate sacrifice while fighting the elements inimical to peace. Expressing solidarity with the families of the soldiers killed, he hoped the bereaved families would be able to bear the loss.

PTI