Army Major killed in gun battle

Jammu, Sept 23 :

 An Army Major hailing from Hyderabad and a jawan were killed in a gun battle with militants in Bandipora district of north Kashmir on Wednesday.
Army Major J S Suri and the jawan in the rank of Naik went down fighting the militants at the village Boniyari—Sumbal, 30 kms from here, officials said. Acting on a tip off, the Army, led by the Major stormed a house where militants were hiding on Tuesday night.

Though other members of the party came out, the duo was trapped in heavy firing by the militants. After a night-long lull, the militants resumed firing this morning.
The Army along with the police had strengthened the cordon around the house during Tuesday night to prevent any attempt by the militants to escape under the cover of darkness. In another encounter in Baramulla district, two Army jawans and two militants were killed at Ladoo forest in Panzla area in Rafaibad on Tuesday.

The encounter took place when a search party of 32 Rashtriya Rifles confronted a group of militants, the officials said. Three soldiers were injured in the initial exchange of fire of whom two succumbed to injuries, they said. Body of two militants were recovered during the search of the area, they said, adding that their identity was being ascertained.