SRINAGAR: An Army jawan was killed in a brief gunfight with militants in Jammu and Kashmir's frontier district of Kupwara on Friday. Two persons including a woman were killed elsewhere in the Valley during the day, the police said. The Army said that a clash took place in Kachlu village of Kralgund area in Handwara belt of Kupwara when its 32 Rashtriya Rifles launched a cordon-and-search-operation to flush out the hiding militants dead or alive.
The slain soldier has been identified as Rifleman Ram Babu Shahi. "He sustained bullet injury during the gun battle. He was provided immediate first aid and evacuated to Srinagar's 92-Base Hospital. But, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries," defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said. A 24-year-old Shahi was a resident of Jagatpur village of Chitwan district of Nepal and is survived by his wife and a daughter.
