Army Recovers 2 More Bodies in Uri Sector

‘Cross-LoC gunfire hampering efforts to retrieve other bodies’

Srinagar: Army on Saturday recovered bodies of two unidentified militants, while their efforts to retrieve the remaining three bodies have been hampered due to continuous fire from the other side of Line of Control (LoC) in Boniyar area of Uri sector in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

The soldiers of 8 Sikh regiment assisted by other units of the army, including commandos today retrieved the body of two of the five unknown militants killed in a fierce 12-hour encounter on Friday, official sources told Srinagar based news gathering agency Global News Service. The soldiers, however, were making efforts to retrieve the remaining three bodies of the unidentified militants lying close to the fence at Torna near Sallar forest area in Boniyar.

“From last evening, choppers have been pressed into service for retrieving the bodies of the slain militants. Two bodies have been retrieved while repeated attempts to bring three others are being resisted with heavy gunfire from the other side,” sources said.

However, sources said, it was not clear whether the fire was being exchanged by the estranged armies of the two countries or between the militants and the soldiers.

They said that the additional forces rushed to the area on Friday after the encounter have started searches in the adjoining forest area suspecting that some militants might have managed to flee during the gunfight.

Meanwhile, an army spokesman in a statement issued here today said that another militant was killed in the encounter taking the toll of death to three, including a soldier.

“Three AK-47 and three rucksacks were also recovered from the site of the operation. As per last reports, operation is still in progress,” the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, police have registered a case under FIR number 55/2015 under section 302 RPC and 7/25 IA Act in police station Boniyar.  

Pertinently, the encounter broke out during the intervening night of July 02/03 in Sallar forest area in Chotali village along the LoC when a heavily armed group of militants were confronted by army’s 8 Sikh Regiment.

The encounter drew contingents from other army units to the LoC. The day long encounter lead to the death of five unidentified militants and a soldier identified as Harpreet Singh. Another soldier Zarmal Singh was injured in the exchange of fire.  (GNS)

10 Yr Old Handed Over to PaK Rangers 

Srinagar: Army officials in Tanghdar sector Saturday handed over a 10-year-old boy from Pakistan-administrated Kashmir (PaK), who had inadvertently crossed the Line of Control two days ago, to Pakistan Army officials.

Sameer Kayani son of Mohammad Rafiq from Laswa Athmuqam (PaK) who was intercepted by BSF 38 bn after he inadvertently crossed this side of border on Thursday last. The patrolling party later on handed over the boy to the concerned 104 brigade in Tanghdar, official sources said.

They said the boy was handed over by the unit based at Tanghdar frontier area to the Pakistan Army at Teetwal crossing point with new clothes and sweets for the family.

Meanwhile, a senior official said that soon after the boy was apprehended by the troops and the Indian army took the initiative and sent an urgent hot line message to the Pakistan side.

He said the message was initiated to inform the Pakistan Army of the safety and well being of Kayani along with a request for a Flag meeting so that the individual could be repatriated and united with his family at the earliest.

“The flag meeting was held at the Teetwal Crossing Point today in the afternoon and individual was handed over to representatives from Pakistan,” he added. (GNS)

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