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Five army troopers were injured in an gunfight in north Kashmir frontier Kupwara district. Mukhtar Ahmad/Rediff.com reports from Srinagar.
The gunfight in the Machil sector of the Line of Control erupted on Tuesday morning after alert troops detected a group of militants.
“The militants were challenged upon which they opened fire at the security forces leading to a firefight which is still on,” the officer said.
A defence spokesman this evening confirmed five soldiers were injured in the gunfight so far.
The injured soldiers were evacuated to hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile army chief, Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag arrived in the Valley on Tuesday and held meeting with the state chief ministers and senior officers of the army.
'The chief minister and army chief discussed important matters relating to internal and external security management in Jammu and Kashmir and the general geo-political situation in the region,' an official statement said.
“The chief minister was briefed by top army commanders about the overall security scenario and the steps being taken to maintain peace in the state through greater public participation.”
Stressing the need for maintaining greater vigil along the borders to prevent infiltration, which she said, army is capable of doing effectively, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti called for minimising the visibility of the troops from the civilian areas and tourist places in the state, the statement said.
She said the troops should ensure that no civilian is harmed and there is minimum damage to civilian properties during encounters with the militants. “While the army is competent enough to deal with the situation along the borders, for internal security, police and paramilitary forces should shoulder the greater responsibilities,” the statement added.
Image for representation.