Major tragedy averted, IED defused in Kupwara;Three jawans martyred, 2 LeT ultras killed

TASTATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR/JAMMU: Three jawans were martyred and two Lashkar-e- Toiba terrorists eliminated in separate incidents across Jammu and Kashmir.
An army jawan was killed in sniper firing by Pakistani troops at Line of Control (LoC) in Machhil sector of Kashmir, prompting retaliation by Indian army which targeted Pakistani posts with heavy weapons.
“One soldier was martyred in Pakistan sniping at Machhil Sector today,” a defence spokesman said here.
He said in retaliation, fire assault with heavy weapons was being directed on many Pakistani posts.
On Tuesday, an army jawan was killed and two others were injured in Pakistani shelling in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district in Jammu province.
One of the injured jawans succumbed to his injuries late last night.
Another army soldier, who was wounded in Pak firing along the LoC in Rajouri died on Wednesday.
“Naik Harindra Kumar Yadav sustained grievous injuries on Tuesday after Pakistan Army initiated indiscriminate and unprovoked firing,” Army spokesperson Lt Col Manish Mehta said.
“In the ensuing unprovoked shelling, a non-commissioned officer, Naik Prem Singh, was martyred on Tuesday. Yadav succumbed to injuries today (Wednesday),” Mehta said.
While Naik Prem Singh, 26, hailed from Shahar village of Barmer district in Rajasthan, and is survived by his wife; Naik Yadav, 30, is survived by his wife and three young children. He hailed from Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh.
In another development, two Lashkar-e Toiba terrorists were killed in an encounter that broke out between security forces and terrorists in Watergam area of Baramulla district on Wednesday.
The terrorists were killed in an encounter that broke out between security forces and terrorists in Watergam area of Baramulla district. Two weapons were recovered from their possession.
Meanwhile, a major tragedy was averted as security forces detected and later defused a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by terrorists, on Srinagar-Kupwara road in north Kashmir, police said.
A powerful IED was found planted by unidentified militants on the roadside near Wadhpora in Handwara, 70 km from here, which was later destroyed by the Bomb Disposal Squad, a police official said.
Timely detection of the IED frustrated terrorists’ plan to set off an explosion on the busy road which is also used frequently by the security forces moving between Srinagar and Kupwara, he said.
Police have registered a case and started a manhunt to nab the terrorists who planted the IED on the roadside, the officials said.
The Army has been retaliating strongly to unprovoked provocation from across the border and inflicted heavy damage to three Pakistan posts.