Militants strike Army camp near LOC, Captain is among 3 personnel killed

KUPWARA ATTACK: TWO MILITANTS GUNNED DOWN, THIRD ESCAPED

THREE ARMY personnel including a Captain were killed and five others injured when heavily armed militants sneaked into an artillery camp after snipping perimeter wire fences and opened fire in the early hours of Thursday in Panzgam in Kupwara district of north Kashmir.

Two militants were gunned down by troops while a third slipped away, leaving behind his weapon. Officers said there was every possibility that the militants had come from across the Line of Control.

Panzgam is located close to the LOC on the Kupwarachowkidar highway, around 20 km from Kupwara town, and houses the rear base — administrative and logistics base for units operationally deployed on the LOC — of nine Army units. The camp is marked by two tiers of barbed-wire fencing, separated by 50-100 metres.

The personnel killed in the attack were identified as Captain Ayush Yadav (26), Subedar Bhoop Singh Gujjar (46) and Naik Bhoota Venkata Ramanna (38). The five who were injured were flown to the Army Base Hospital at the Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar.

Colonel Saurav Joshi, Commanding Officer, Artillery

Shuaib Masoodi Near the Army camp in Kupwara which was attacked by militants early Thursday.