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| Major killed in Mendhar encounter | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 9: In biggest loss of recent months to the Army, a Major lost life in a fierce gun battle in Mendhar area of Poonch district Wednesday even as three militants were also eliminated.
Incidentally, the martyred Major Akash Singh was a resident of Shiv Nagar in Jammu. A pall of gloom descended in parts of town when people learnt about Akash’s killing.
The incident happened in the early hours when militants tried to cross over through the Sunegali area, 5 km from Mendhar. While sneaking into India, they opened fire on the army patrol.
It is learnt that the militants, who were three to four in number, tried to take advantage of the darkness. The movement of the infiltrators was noticed by an army patrol after which the encounter followed.
Three infiltrators were killed in the encounter. But, the army lost Major Akash Singh of 5 Maratha Light Infantry. "Army successfully thwarted the infiltration bid which took place at Sunegali," said Gurdeep Singh, Brigadier General Staff (BGS), 16 Corps, Nagrota.
Major Akash Singh had an illustrious record and has served in the insurgency hit areas of Jammu & Kashmir and the North East. He was an alumnus of Officers' Training Academy, Chennai and was commissioned in 1999. He is survived by his wife and two children.
The army has launched a combing operation to search for more terrorists and infiltrators. Last week, too, five militants were gunned down by the army in the Gurez area. Infiltration has considerably increased from the other side of the LoC this year. In 2008, only 45 militants could successfully crossover in 2008, there have already been more than 70 illegal entries this year, according to some reports.
Indian army had earlier pointed out that there has been an increase in the activity on the western border. Anti-India militant outfits have been trying to push in as much men, money and weapons on to the Indian side before snow blocks their passage.
Meanwhile, a search operation was launched in the area to nab the other militants. The troops are also scanning the area for more bodies of the militants who might have died in the attack.
Sources also said that the infiltration bid by militants from across the border was kept under control, although the number of infiltration attempts was higher this year compared to 2008. They said Pakistan is helping the militants to infiltrate into the Indian side.
It needs to mention here that yet in another incident this month, five militants were killed during an infiltration bid in the northern Kashmir area of Gurez.
And referring to this context Lt Gen PC Bhardwaj, General Officer Commanding in chief of Northern Command, recently told reporters that over 70 militants had sneaked into India from Pakistan this year so far. During the same period last year the number was 45.
In Jammu, Akash’s friends remembered him as a brave and courageous young man. "We got this news suddenly in the morning. I had gone to drop off my kids at the bus stop when his (Akash Singh) father got a call from his CO (Commanding Officer). Since his father was not able to decipher what was being said, his brother, who was with me, rushed to take the call. He was informed that around 3 in the morning, they had set up an ambush for the militants, where he (Akash) killed two militants but got hit by a bullet while aiming at third and he is no more," said Avdhesh Raina, friend of Akash Singh.
Singh is survived by his wife and two children |
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