Subhechcha Ganguly 
Two Army personnel were martyred in overnight firing as the encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district entered its ninth day on Saturday, marking one of the longest anti-terror operations in the Valley in recent years. The Army’s Chinar Corps identified the fallen soldiers as Lance Naik Pritpal Singh and Sepoy Harminder Singh, saluting their “courage and dedication” and extending condolences to their families.
Launched on August 1, Operation Akhal began after security forces received specific intelligence about the presence of terrorists in a forested area in Akhal, south Kashmir. Since then, two terrorists have been killed, while 11 security personnel have sustained injuries.
The joint operation—conducted by the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and other security agencies—has deployed drones, helicopters, and para commandos to track and neutralize the remaining terrorists. The operation is being closely supervised by senior officials, including J&K Police chief Nalin Prabhat and Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma.
