MILITANTS FLEE FROM ENCOUNTER SITE IN ANANTNAG

SRINAGAR: The militants who were engaged in a gunfight with security forces in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district in which an army jawan was killed on Saturday have escaped from the encounter site, officials said on Sunday.

They said that there was no further exchange of fire between militants and security forces near Watnar village of Anantnag. “The terrorists escaped after killing an army jawan,” said an official manning police control room, Anantnag.

The forces had launched several searches in the adjoining forest areas of Watnar. “So far, there is no success in tracing them,” he said. The encounter had erupted on Saturday acting on a specific input about the presence of terrorists in Watnar area of Kokernag in the south Kashmir district as security forces launched a cordon and search operation there.

Army pays tribute to deceased soldier Meanwhile, the Army paid floral tributes to Lance Naik Nishan Singh who made the supreme sacrifice during the encounter. PRO Defence Colonel Emron Musavi said. “While the initial cordon was being laid, the terrorists opened heavy volume of fire on cordon party. Unmindful of his own safety, Lance Naik Nishan Singh, who was part of the initial cordon party, charged at the terrorists, valiantly returning fire and in doing so sustained a gunshot wound on his chest. He was immediately evacuated to 92 Base Hospital, where he was declared dead by medical authorities,” Musavi said.

Singh, 29, belonged to Bhaudin village of Sirsa district in Haryana and is survived by his wife.