Handwara encounter: Two senior army officers were among five killed in action in the encounter.
Two senior army officers – a colonel and a major- were among five security personnel killed in action during an encounter in Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district. A police officer and two army soldiers were also killed as the security personnel came under heavy fire during the encounter which began on Saturday. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid tribute to the soldiers and security personnel killed in the encounter. “The loss of our soldiers and security personnel in Handwara(J&K) is deeply disturbing and painful. They showed exemplary courage in their fight against the terrorists and made supreme sacrifice while serving the country. We will never forget their bravery and sacrifice,” he tweeted. Two terrorists were killed during the joint operation by the army and the Jammu and Kashmir police.
Here are the updates and reactions after the Handwara encounter:
After a long anxious night, we have this heart-rending news about martyrdom of our brave-hearts.
COLONEL ASHUTOSH SHARMA
21 RR,
MAJOR ANUJ SOOD
21 RR,
NAIK RAJESH
21 RR,
LANCE NAIK DINESH
21 RR,
SUB INSPECTOR SHAKEEL QAZI
J&K POLICE#Handwara_Encounterpic.twitter.com/CpmrZBlbAY
– Imtiyaz Hussain (@hussain_imtiyaz) May 3, 2020
Here is what the army said in a statement:
“Based on the intelligence input that terrorists were taking the civilian inmates of a house in Changimulla, (in the) Handwara (area) of Kupwara district, hostage, a joint operation was launch by Army and JK Police. A team comprising of five Army and JK Police personnel entered the target area occupied by the terrorists to evacuate the civ (civilians).”
“The team of Army and JK Police entered the tgt (target) area and successfully extricated the civ. However, during the process, the team was subjected to heavy volume of fire by the terrorists,” it added.
Handwara Encounter
Dilbagh Singh, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP), told news agency PTI: “Sad to inform that five brave personnel including Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, Major Anuj Sood and sub-inspector of JKP Shakeel Qazi were martyred in the line of duty.”
“The loss of our soldiers and security personnel in Handwara(J&K) is deeply disturbing and painful. They showed exemplary courage in their fight against the terrorists and made supreme sacrifice while serving the country. We will never forget their bravery and sacrifice,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted.
The loss of our soldiers and security personnel in Handwara(J&K) is deeply disturbing and painful. They showed exemplary courage in their fight against the terrorists and made supreme sacrifice while serving the country. We will never forget their bravery and sacrifice.
– Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) May 3, 2020
Handwara Encounter: Omar Abdullah Pays Tribute To Officers, Security Personnel
National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah paid truibute to the the army officers and security personnel killed in action in the Handwara encounter: “Sorry to hear about the army & police officers & the jawan who laid down their lives in the line of duty in Handwara this morning. May their souls rest in peace & may their families & colleagues find strength at this difficult time,” he tweeted.
