Srinagar, August 9, 2025 — Two Indian Army soldiers from Punjab were martyred during an ongoing counter-terrorism operation in the Akhal forest of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
The fallen soldiers have been identified as Sepoy Harminder Singh, 26, of Badinpur village in Fatehgarh Sahib, and Lance Naik Pritpal Singh, 28, of Manupur village in Khanna. Both sustained critical injuries during an intense exchange of fire with militants and succumbed while receiving treatment early Saturday.
The tragedy comes just a day before Rakshabandhan, deepening the grief for their families. Pritpal Singh, married less than a year ago, was to celebrate his first Rakhi with his wife. Harminder Singh’s mother and sisters had been preparing to welcome him home for the festival.
Ninth Day of Operation Akhal
The encounter forms part of Operation Akhal, which entered its ninth day on Saturday. Launched on August 1, the mission has witnessed heavy exchanges of fire. On August 2, security forces killed two militants, including C-category terrorist Haris Nazir Dar of Pulwama, listed among 14 local militants flagged after the April 26 Pahalgam attack.
So far, nine soldiers have been injured during the prolonged operation, four of them on Friday alone. Security forces believe more militants remain holed up in the dense forest, with intermittent firing continuing.
Operation Akhal is being carried out jointly by the Indian Army, CRPF, and the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG). Army officials have vowed to continue the mission until all hiding terrorists are eliminated.
The sacrifice of Lance Naik Pritpal Singh and Sepoy Harminder Singh has plunged their villages into mourning, with residents preparing to accord them a hero’s farewell.
