Parallel News Digital Desk, 9th August
Two Indian soldiers were killed and another two injured in an overnight gunbattle with militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, the army said on Friday. One militant was also killed.
The clash is part of “Operation Akhal”, a counter-insurgency mission launched on Aug. 1 in the forested village of Akhal in south Kashmir. So far, five militants have been killed and 10 soldiers wounded in the operation, the army said.
The two soldiers killed on Thursday night were identified as Lance Naik Preetpal Singh and Sepoy Harminder Singh. Both were taken to hospital with gunshot wounds but died of their injuries. The other injured soldiers are receiving treatment.
The operation began after intelligence inputs about militant presence in the area, prompting security forces to cordon off the village. Intermittent gunfire continued on Friday.
Separately, Home Minister Amit Shah told parliament that three militants responsible for the recent Pahalgam attack, which killed a tourist, had been killed in “Operation Mahadev” in Srinagar. Weapons used in the attack were recovered, he said.
Do you want me to also prepare a short headline-friendly Reuters snap version for the Kulgam operation? That’s often what wires send out first.
