SRI NAGAR: Barely a couple of days after losing a Commanding Officer(CO) in a gunfight with militants in Kashmir, a top Army Commander in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday said senior officers will continue to lead anti-militancy operations in the border State.
“Senior Army officers, including COs would continue to lead from the front in counter-militancy operations in the State,” General Officer Commanding (GC) of Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lt Gen Subrata Saha told reporters during a function, here.
Colonel M N Rai, 39, was killed in a firefight with militants in Tral area in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on January 27. Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants, Abid Hussain Khan and Sheraz Hassan Dar, and a policeman Sanjeevan Singh were also killed in the encounter.
Rai had been awarded the Yudh Seva Medal on Republic Day for meticulous planning and success of various anti-militant operations.
Rejecting reports that the Army has decided not to involve senior officers in anti-militancy operations after the death of Col Rai, Lt Gen Saha said the killing of his brave colleague in the restive area in South Kashmir had reinforced the troops’ resolve to fight all anti-national elements in the state.
Rai’s death was the first casualty suffered by the Army in Kashmir this year.