Pioneer in short

Army officer falls to death in J&K 

An army officer died after slipping in a mountainous area and falling into a deep gorge during an anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Saturday evening, officials said. The officer, a lieutenant, was part of the security forces engaged in Operation Sheruwali, which entered its 15th day. Operation Sheruwali is underway in the Dorimaal and Gambhir Mughalan belt to track down two to three Pakistani terrorists believed to be hiding in the forests of Rajouri district. During the search operation, the lieutenant reportedly slipped and fell into a 30-metre-deep gorge in the Dorimaal area, the officials said, adding that he succumbed to his injuries. The exercise began on May 22, with troops having a brief exchange of fire with militants the next day. There has been no further contact since. The body has been recovered, and further details are awaited.