An intense encounter between unknown persons and the security forces in Handwara town in Indian Occupied Kashmir’s Kupwara district ended on Sunday, May 3. According to reports, a colonel, one major and two Indian Army soldiers were killed along with a police officer during the encounter. Colonel Ashutosh Sharma, Major Anuj, a Lance Naik, a rifleman and police sub-inspector Shakeel Qazi were killed after the hours-long exchange of gunfire with unknown persons hiding in one of the houses in the village. The encounter began at around 3:30 pm on Saturday, April 2, during which two unknown persons were shot dead by the security personnel.