Army officer, 4 soldiers killed in J&K's Poonch gunfight

New Delhi: An army officer and four other soldiers were killed on Monday in a gunfight with the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

Lt Colonel Devender Anand, defence ministry spokesman said that five soldiers including JCO, who suffered critical injuries in an encounter with the terrorists, were evacuated to a nearby medical facility, but they succumbed to injuries.

"The operation is still going on in the area".

Earlier, the Army had started a cordon and search operation in villages close to Dara Ki Gali in the Surankote area of Poonch district following intelligence inputs about the presence of heavily-armed terrorists there, they said.

Hiding terrorists, believed to be 4 to 5, fired at the surrounding troops resulting in critical injuries to five soldiers, including the JCO.

The hiding terrorists fired on the search parties resulting in a fierce gunfight and critical injuries to a Junior Commissioned Officer or JCO and four other soldiers. They died from their injuries.

The encounter with the terrorists was going on and further details are awaited, a defence spokesperson said.