Two Soldiers Killed as Kulgam Gunfight Enters Ninth Day in One of Kashmir’s Longest Operations

Two Army personnel were killed overnight as the gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district stretched into its ninth day on Saturday, making it one of the valley’s longest anti-terror operations in recent years.

The Army’s Chinar Corps identified the fallen soldiers as Lance Naik Pritpal Singh and Sepoy Harminder Singh, praising their “courage and dedication” and expressing condolences to their families.

Since Operation Akhal began on August 1, eleven security personnel have been injured and two terrorists have been killed. The joint Army–police offensive was launched after intelligence inputs pointed to terrorist presence in the forested Akhal area.

Drones, helicopters, and para commandos are aiding in the search, while top security officials — including J&K Police chief Nalin Prabhat and Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma — are supervising the mission. The operation remains ongoing, with further details awaited.