Two Army soldiers were killed and two others injured in an overnight gunfight with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, officials said on Saturday.

The encounter — among the longest anti-terror operations in the Valley — entered its ninth day, with security forces maintaining a tight cordon in the Akhal forest area.

The soldiers — Lance Naik Pritpal Singh and Sepoy Harminder Singh — were killed in firing on Friday night. With two more personnel injured, the total number of injured security force members since the start of the operation has risen to nine.

In a post on X, the Indian Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps said: "Chinar Corps honours the supreme sacrifice of the Bravehearts, L/Nk Pritpal Singh and Sep Harminder Singh, in line of duty for the Nation. Their courage and dedication will forever inspire us. IndianArmy expresses deepest condolences and stand in solidarity with the bereaved families. Operation continues."

The joint operation, codenamed Operation Akhal, began on August 1 after security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the forest area in south Kashmir based on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists.

Four terrorists have been killed so far in the gunfight. Two were eliminated on the second day of the encounter, though their identities and group affiliations are yet to be confirmed.

Senior police and Army officers — including Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Nalin Prabhat and the Army’s Northern Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma — are monitoring the operation round-the-clock, officials said.

Security forces have deployed drones, helicopters, and para commandos to track and neutralise the terrorists hiding in dense forest terrain.

The operation remains ongoing, and further details are awaited.