Poonch gunfight: Bodies of missing trooper, JCO retrieved, toll reaches 9

POONCH — Army has retrieved the bodies of two troopers, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), who went missing during a fierce gun battle with militants on Thursday evening in Poonch.

Reports said that the JCO and the trooper went missing after army came under heavy firing from militants on Thursday. Two troopers — rifleman Yogambar Singh and rifleman Vikram Singh Negi — were killed in the encounter.

Reliable sources said army recovered the bodies of the missing JCO and the trooper. With the recovery of these bodies, the toll during the ongoing anti-militant operation has risen to nine.

Earlier, five troopers including a JCO had been killed. Later, two more troopers were killed while two others including the JCO had gone missing.