An Army Major and three soldiers were killed and another was injured in a fierce gun battle in the dense forests of North Kashmir’s Hafradu forests. The operation is still in progress.

Defense spokesman Lt Col J S Brar said that on Saturday afternoon troops of 1 para and 6 Rashtriya Rifles launched a search operation in the Hafradu forests of Kupwara district. “As the Army jawans were closing towards the militant hideout, the militants fired on the Army’s advance party resulting in the killing of an army Major and three soldiers, another soldier was also injured in the firing,” he said.

The Major has been identified as Major Mohit of Parachute regiment.

Brar said the encounter is still going on in the forests. “We don’t know how many militants have been killed as the operation still continues,” he said. “There is possibility that militants might have taken shelter in the natural caves.”

Since Friday, this is the third encounter that has taken place in the Kupwara district; so far army has killed four militants, three in Drangyari and one in Shamsabari encounters. Army said that a search operation is still going on in the Drangyari as army fears presence of more militants in the area.

Army is also trying to establish link between the three encounters. Officials also have not ruled out the possibility of some militants sneaking into the Valley some days ago from the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. The area where these encounters took place is close to the Line of Control. In the past, militants had been using these dense forests as transit points. “We are trying to establish whether there is any link between these three encounters. The picture will get clear once the troops will return from the forests,” Brar said.