Within less than a month the Indian Army lost another colonel rank officer in a counter-insurgency operation in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) on Tuesday night.

Major Amit Phunge from 47 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) got critically injured when he came under direct fire by Lashkar-e-Toiba militants in Mendhar sector of Poonch, Jammu district. The major succumbed to the injuries while being evacuated for medical help.

Colonel Ajay Katoch, the commanding officer of the unit also sustained injuries during the same operation, which continued during the night.

Six more soldiers were injured during the battle. The troops cordoned off the area and launched a search operation after getting information on 15 Pakistan-based terrorists who managed to cross over.