SRINAGAR – Seven Indian Army soldiers and policemen were killed and woundedtoday in a fierce gun battle between security forces and militants in Jammuand Kashmirs Kupwara district.

The operation has been going on for the past 38 hours in Halmatpora’sforest area.

Official sources told India Today that two more policemen of the SpecialOperations Group (SOG) were also injured.

The injured were rushed to a medical institute at the nearby Army camp andare currently undergoing treatment.

Earlier, it was reported that three security personnel including an Armyjawan identified as Ranjeet Singh were injured. However, latest reportsconfirm Ranjeet succumbed to his injuries, attaining martyrdom along with afifth jawan.

The jawan who was killed first has been identified as Mohammad AshrafRather and the SOG men as Mohammad Yousuf and Deepak Thesoo.

According to an Army official, four militants were killed yesterday in thegunfight that broke out in Halmatpora’s Check Fatehkhan forest area, about110 km from Srinagar.

J&K DGP SP Vaid confirmed the killing of militants in a tweet saying thatthe fourth militant body has been recovered from the encounter site.

He added that three security personnel were killed and the firing is stillunderway.