Colonel Santosh, Commanding Officer of 41 Rashtriya Rifles was killed and two security personnel injured in an encounter in Kupwara district in Kashmir, on Tuesday. Military operations to flush out militants who have taken refuge in the Behak forest area entered its fifth day today, reported PTI. An army jawan was injured on November 13, the first day of the operations.

The party of army and police came under fire from the terrorists hiding in the forest area. After the initial contact on November 13, the militants had fled deep into the forests and the security forces continued the chase, leading to fresh contact today, the officials said. “There has been heavy exchange of fire since yesterday,” an official said.