- Massive search operation underway
- ADGP Jammu visits encounter area
- Security beefed up
- Sniffer dogs pressed to track the terrorists: Police
Srinagar, July 16: An Army officer and 4 other security personnel were killed during an encounter with terrorists in the Desa forest area of Doda district of Jammu region.
The slain have been identified as Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra, and Sepoy Ajay.
A senior police officer told Rising Kashmir that terrorists were hiding in the densely forested area and attacked the joint team of security forces at around 9 pm.
“During the initial exchange of gunfire, four soldiers, including an army captain, and a policeman were critically injured. They were evacuated to a hospital where Armymen succumbed, bringing the total number of security personnel killed in this gunfight to four,” he said.
The officer said that security has been beefed up across the entire forest area. Tracking terrorists in dense forests is challenging due to the dense foliage and limited visibility.
“We are using both aerial surveillance and sniffer dogs to track the terrorists,” he said.
This was the third major encounter between security forces and terrorists in the forests of Doda district in the past three weeks.
This encounter comes a week after a terrorist ambush on an Army patrol in the remote Machedi forest belt in Kathua district claimed the lives of five soldiers and injured as many.
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi and all ranks of the Army paid tributes to the bravehearts who laid down their lives while undertaking the counter-terror operation.
“Indian Army stands firm with the bereaved families in this hour of grief,” Additional Directorate General of Public Information of the Indian Army posted on ‘X’.
PRO Army, Jammu Division, Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said that in light of the incidents in the recent past, proactive counter-terrorist operations continue to be prosecuted.
“Accordingly, a joint operation with J&K Police was launched in general Area Urarbaggi, 10 km North of Doda district around 8:40 PM on Monday.”
He said that the search party was able to establish contact with the terrorists hiding in the area, which is a thickly forested and mountainous area with restricted visibility due to low clouds and rain.
“In the initial volley of fire, four Indian Army personnel were injured, who later succumbed to their injuries,” Lt. Col Bartwal said.
He said additional troops and equipment have been inducted to flush out the terrorists and the use of drones and other technical resources is being ensured.
“Indian Army has been conducting a series of joint and coordinated operations with J&K Police to eliminate foreign terrorists who have infiltrated and are moving in the upper reaches of Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah areas and thereafter to Kashmir Valley,” Lt. Col Bartwal said. He said similar operations are being relentlessly conducted in the Kathua area.
The PRO further said that analysis of large quantity of warlike stores recovered from the dreaded terrorists reveals the hand of inimical agencies from across the border.
“Similar intelligence-based and area domination operations are continuing in the Kashmir region, North of the Pir Panjal ranges,” he said.
Lt. Col Bartwal further said that LoC and fence is intact and alert troops have recently neutralized three terrorists attempting to infiltrate along with large quantity of war-like stores in Kupwara region on 14 July.
“We deeply regret the loss of precious lives of our four brave soldiers who have made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty,” he said.
Lt. Col Bartwal said that all formations of Northern Command are committed to eliminating the scourge of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir for which the relentless operations will continue.
Meanwhile sources said that no new contact with the terrorists on Tuesday. These terrorists are believed to have infiltrated from across the border and have been hiding in the forest area for the past few months.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Anand Jain Jammu and police personnel visited the Desa forest area where four soldiers including an Army Captain and policeman lost lives during an encounter between security forces and terrorists.
Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General M V Suchindra Kumar pays tributes to soldiers killed in the encounter between security forces and terrorists in Doda district, during a wreath laying ceremony at the Technical Airport in Jammu.
