JCO among 5 soldiers martyred in Poonch gun battle, Op underway, condemnations pour in

Jammu: One Junior Commissioned Officer among five soldiers have attained martyrdom in a fierce gun battle triggered this morning in Dera Ki Gali (DKG) area on Poonch-Rajouri, border districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu based Defence Spokesman Lt Col Devender Anand said that on the intervening night of October 10-11, a Counter Terrorist operation was launched by Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police in the area of Shahdara, near the boundary of Poonch-Rajouri districts.

“During conduct of the operation, terrorists fired heavily on Army troops leading to fatal injuries to one JCO and four soldiers,” said the Colonel.

He said that the JCO and soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty were identified as Naib Subedar (JCO) Jaswinder Singh, SM, Mana Talwandi, District Kapurthala, Punjab, Naik Mandeep Singh, village Chalha, Sirha, Gurdaspur, Punjab, Sepoy Gajjan Singh, village Panchranda, Jhaj, District Ropar, Punjab, Sepoy Saraj Singh, village Akhtyarpur Dhavkal, Bhabhi, District Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh and Sepoy Vaisakh H, village Odanavattom, Kudavattoor, District Kollam, Kerala.

“The nation will always remain indebted to our bravehearts for their supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty,” said the spokesman.

He further said that after the initial encounter, the terrorists fled to nearby Bhangai village, which falls in Rajouri district, and the encounter is still in progress.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad in a message here expressed grief on the loss of life of five soldiers while condemning the cowardly attack by terrorists.

Azad has expressed grief on the loss of brave hearts and said, “my heart goes out for those families who have lost their loved ones in the line of duty while guarding the borders.”

Meanwhile Apni Party President Syed Mohammed Altaf Bukhari has also expressed concern over the martyrdom of a JCO and four Indian army jawans in an encounter in Surankote, Poonch.

“We express our sympathy with the family members of the martyred soldiers who laid down their lives for the nation. Their supreme sacrifice will always be remembered,” Mr Bukhari added. (UNI)