Gun battle with separatists leaves 3 Indian soldiers dead in Kashmir

SRI NAGAR, Aug 05 (bdnews24.com): Three soldiers have been killed in a shootout with separatists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, the Indian Army said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Security forces raided the Halan forests area on Friday evening after receiving information that "terrorists" were present at the spot, according to the statement.

Private broadcaster NDTV reported that it was a joint raid by the army and the police. As the troops zeroed in on the separatists, they came under heavy firing, leading to three deaths.

The Indian Army's 15 Corps said they had continued search operation in the area after the casualties.

Reinforcements have been rushed to the area, and the search operation has been intensified, NDTV reported.

In April and May, 10 army soldiers, including five elite commandos, were killed in two separate gun battles in the Poonch and Rajouri districts - an area which was considered free from militancy for nearly two decades.