J&K: 4 Army Soldiers, Including Officer, Killed In Encounter With Terrorists In Doda

Srinagar: Four Indian Army soldiers, including an officer, were killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in the Doda area of Jammu and Kashmir. The operations, which began on Monday night, are still ongoing, with more details awaited as per an ANI report quoting Defence officials.

Details On The Encounter

The encounter reportedly started when troops from the Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Operations Group of the J&K Police launched a joint cordon and search operation in the Desa forest area around 7:45 pm yesterday.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, Major Brijesh Thappa of the 10 Rashtriya Rifles, who had recently been promoted was among the fallen. The Indian Army has not provided further details on the casualties, and there has been no official confirmation of the deaths.

According to the report quoting officials, four Army personnel, including the officer, and a police officer were injured in the initial exchange of fire with the terrorists, which lasted over 20 minutes. The injured were evacuated to a hospital, where their conditions were reported as critical. Unfortunately, they later succumbed to their injuries.

Additional Troops Moved To Gunfight-Hit Region

The Indian Army indicated that additional troops were dispatched to the area, and the operation is ongoing. After the initial firefight, the terrorists attempted to escape but were pursued by the brave troops, led by an officer, through challenging terrain and thick foliage, leading to another firefight around 9 pm.

The White Knights Corps posted on social media platform X, stating, "Based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint operation by Indian Army and JKP was in progress in the general area north of Doda. Contact with terrorists was established tonight at about 2100h, resulting in a heavy firefight." They added that initial reports suggested injuries to the soldiers and additional troops were moved into the area to continue the operation.

Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir Police reportedly recovered old-rusted arms and ammunition from a terrorist hideout in Reasi district. The recovered items included 30 rounds of AK-47, one magazine of an AK-47 rifle, and one HE-36 hand grenade. This recovery occurred during a search and cordon operation in the Dalantop area of Shikari.

Recent Terror Attacks In J&K

This month has seen increased violence in the region. Five soldiers were killed after gunmen ambushed an Army convoy and two other soldiers, along with six terrorists, were killed in separate clashes. In June, nine pilgrims were killed, and dozens were wounded when terrorists opened fire on a bus carrying them from a shrine in the southern Reasi area. This attack was one of the deadliest in years and the first on Hindu pilgrims in Kashmir since 2017.