Captain Abhima-nyu, a young Army officer of 22 Rashtriya Rifles injured during a firefight Tuesday with a militant holed up in a private house in Sopore town, 48 km northwest of here, died at the 92 Base Hospital here overnight, officials said.
The gun battle ended Wednesday afternoon with the killing of the militant, who could be a member of the banned Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, they added. The house in Sopore’s Model Town was razed after the Army and the local police’s counterinsurgency Special Operations Group used mortars and light machine guns in their final assault against the lone militant, who kept them engaged for nearly 20 hours, witnesses said. The soldiers from 22 RR and SOG cordoned off Model Town Tuesday evening and quickly mounted an operation following reports that militants were hiding in the house of one Raja Begum, a widow.
The operation, suspended to avoid collateral damage as darkness fell, was resumed at first light Wednesday. At about 2.30 pm, the security forces launched the final assault, reports said.