A cordon and search operation was today launched in the forest belt of Beri Rakh in Poonch district where an army Major was killed and six other security men, including a Colonel, were injured in an encounter with suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists.
“The operation to track down the militants is going on. Massive cordon has been laid around the forest belt of Beri Rakh in Mendhar border belt of Poonch district and searches are on since this morning,” a senior army official said.
Troops of 37 Rashtriya Rifles are engaged in the operation, he said.
Major Amit Phunge was killed in the encounter with the militants last night, while Colonel Ajay Katoch of 47 Rashtriya Rifles injured when the terrorists resorted to heavy fire and lobbed grenades.
The army team had gone to the spot following information that about 15 Pakistan-based terrorists had sneaked in.
The injured included Dinesh Kumar and Satinder Kumar, both Signal men, Naik Jasbir Singh, Sepoy Samir Kumar and Rifleman Basharat Hussain.
