Baramulla: A soldier lost his life early Wednesday after sustaining grievous injuries during a fierce gunfight near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Churanda area of Uri sector, officials confirmed.
The exchange of fire began around 3:30 a.m. when troops detected suspicious movement along the LoC and moved to intercept it. In the ensuing encounter, an infiltration bid was successfully thwarted, but one soldier was critically wounded and later succumbed to his injuries.
Security forces have heightened alert levels across the Kashmir Valley and border areas in anticipation of Independence Day, with additional deployments and intensified patrolling.
The incident comes amid a series of prolonged security operations in the region. Earlier this month, Kulgam witnessed a counter-terrorist mission that lasted over ten days — one of the longest such operations in Jammu and Kashmir this year — with multiple militants believed to have evaded the security cordon. In Jammu Division, a separate two-day gunfight in Kishtwar on August 10 ended with the Army destroying a cave suspected to have served as a militant hideout, though it remained unclear if any insurgents were present at the time.
Army officials paid tribute to the fallen soldier, commending his courage and reaffirming their commitment to preventing infiltration and safeguarding the nation’s borders.
