5 Indian security personnel killed in Jammu-Kashmir encounter

Five Indian security personnel, including a colonel and a major, were killed in an encounter at a village in Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir, which also saw the elimination of two terrorists, officials said today.

Army officers -- Col Ashutosh Sharma, Major Anuj Soodand Sub-Inspector of Jammu and Kashmir Police Shakeel Qazi -- were among the deceased, our New Delhi correspondent reports, quoting officials.

Col Sharma was leading a team to rescue civilians who were taken hostage by the terrorists hiding in a house at Chanjmullah area of Handwara in frontier Kupwara district of north Kashmir on Saturday, the officials said.

As the hostages were being rescued, the team, which also consisted of two other military men, came under heavy fire, which was effectively retaliated by the security personnel in the outer cordon, they said.

In the early hours of today, a major offensive was launched by the security forces as there had been no contact with the colonel or his team, the officials said.

Two terrorists were killed in the encounter, they said.