Born on Army Day, my son was destined to join Army: Father of slain Captain Pawan Kumar

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New Delhi: "I had one child and I gave him to the country." These were the words of father of Captain Pawan Kumar who laid down his life battling terrorists in Pampore area of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday morning.

"I had one child. I gave him to the Army, no father can be prouder. He was destined to be in the Army as was he born on Army Day. He had already been the part of two successful operations earlier where 3 terrorists were killed," said Capt Pawan Kumar's father Rajbir Singh. 

"A captain of 10 para regiment was martyred when security forces entered the building on Sunday morning in which militants are holed up," a senior police official told IANS.

"Heavy firing exchanges are going on in the area and the Srinagar-Jammu highway has been closed for safety purposes."

A paramilitary central reserve police force (CRPF) spokesman has denied the media reports that three CRPF troopers were killed in the gunfight so far.

"We have lost two troopers. The rumour about the death of the third trooper is wrong," he said.

"The number of injured CRPF troopers has, however, risen to 13 after three more troopers got injured during the operation."

So far five people have been killed in the fierce encounter.