This is the second major loss that the army has suffered in the last two weeks.
Two terrorists were killed today in separate encounters with security forces in Rajouri and Baramulla districts of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.
Yesterday, five soldiers who were part of the army's assault team of elite special forces to flush out terrorists in Rajouri were killed in an IED blast during the operation. An officer of the special forces was critically injured in the process.
A massive reinforcement of troops was rushed to the region as part of 'Operation Trinetra' to flush out terrorists who are believed to be entrenched in caves in the forest areas of Rajouri.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to visit Rajouri today to review the situation on the ground. Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, the Jammu and Kashmir Police DGP and other top officers are already supervising the anti-terrorist operation that is underway.
This is the second major loss that the army has suffered in the last two weeks. On April 20, five soldiers were killed when an army truck they were travelling in was ambushed by terrorists at Bhata Durian in Poonch.
After killing the soldiers, the terrorists set the truck on fire and decamped with the weapons of the fallen armymen.
Following the attack, a major manhunt was launched in the Poonch-Rajouri region. According to the police, around a dozen heavily armed terrorists are present in the region.
During a large-scale crackdown, the police detained over 200 people for questioning and arrested at least six persons for helping terrorists responsible for the attack on the army truck. This led to resentment among locals and a villager died by suicide alleging torture by the police.