Gunbattle leaves 4 dead in Kashmir
Srinagar, India - Two air force commandos and two suspected rebels were killed during a gunbattle on Wednesday in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, the army said, during an upsurge in violence in the disputed region.
The fighting started when soldiers searching for militants cordoned off a neighbourhood in the northern town of Hajin.
“It was a difficult operation. Two militants were killed in the encounter. Unfortunately two air force commandos also died,” a police officer said.
“Two Garud personnel were killed in action while operating with the Army for operational experience and training,” Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said.
The Garud commandos are a special unit of the Indian Air Force with only over a 1,000 commandos.
It was formed in September 2004.
The deaths came two days after a leader of the banned militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad was killed in a shoot-out with government forces in Kashmir.
The Pakistani national known only as Khalid was accused of organising a string of suicide attacks across Kashmir, which Pakistan also claims.
In another incident on Wednesday in the state, two policemen were arrested for supplying bullets to militants in Shopian district.