Two Soldiers Martyred, One Terrorist Neutralized in Gunfight in J&K's Kulgam as Op Akhal Intensify

Kulgam: Two Indian Army personnel were martyred during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam on Friday night, the Army said on Saturday.  

The operation, now in its ninth day, is being carried out jointly by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Central Reserve Police Force, and the Special Operations Group.

Officials identified the martyred soldiers as Lance Naik Pritpal Singh and Sepoy Harminder Singh. In a post on X, the Chinar Corps paid tribute, saying their “courage and dedication will forever inspire us” and expressing condolences to their families.

According to the Army, one terrorist has been killed so far in the ongoing gunfight. Security forces reported intermittent and intense firing through the night in the Akhal area, with troops responding with “calibrated fire” while tightening the cordon. The firefight resumed after an initial halt last Friday night, when additional reinforcements were moved in.

Their statement on X read: "OP AKHAL, Kulgam. Intermittent and intense firefight continued through the night. Alert troops responded with calibrated fire and tightened the noose while maintaining contact." The post added, “One terrorist has been neutralised by the security forces so far. Operation continues.”

Security forces have maintained a strong cordon and are using drones, helicopters, and para commandos to track down and neutralise the remaining terrorists hiding in dense forested terrain. The identity and affiliation of the slain militant have yet to be confirmed.

The Kulgam operation comes just days after three terrorists were killed in the upper reaches of Srinagar. Those individuals were linked to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which left 26 people dead. 

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