2 Army soldiers injured in Doda terror attack

Srinagar, July 18: Two Army soldiers received injuries during a gunfight with terrorists in a remote forest village in Doda district early Thursday even as security forces persisted with their intense operations.

The Police officials said that the gunfight that lasted over an hour occurred at Jaddan Bata village in the Kastigarh area around 2 am when terrorists fired at a temporary security camp set up in a government school for ongoing search operations.

A massive search operation is currently underway in Doda following the killing of four Army soldiers, including a captain, in the Desa forests on Monday night.

“All security forces on the ground are engaged in a well-coordinated operation against the terrorists with whom we had contact yesterday and today as well. The operation is ongoing, and we expect success soon,” Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Doda-Kishtwar, Ramban Range, Shridhar Patil told reporters.

However, he declined to share more details due to the ongoing nature of the operation.

The officials said that the two soldiers were injured when the terrorists attacked the forces camped inside the school building before fleeing into the dense forest area.

“One of the critically injured Army personnel was evacuated to the Udhampur-based Command Hospital by an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) despite challenging weather conditions,” a Defence spokesman said.

“Swift action by ALH from Air Force Station, Udhampur, saved a critically injured soldier’s life in Doda (J&K). Despite challenging weather, the evacuation was successful, ensuring timely medical care at Command Hospital, Udhampur. Kudos to the team for their dedication and bravery,” PRO Defence, Jammu, posted on X.

Heavy rains and dense fog further complicated the security forces’ manhunt for the fleeing terrorists, who are believed to be the same group responsible for killing the four Army soldiers.

The operation, which began following the killing of the Army soldiers, entered its fourth day on Thursday.

It included a brief exchange of fire at two locations in the Desa forests on Tuesday night.

Doda district, which had been cleared of terrorism in 2005, has seen a resurgence of attacks since June 12, when six security personnel were injured in a terror attack at Chattergala Pass.

The following day, a firefight in Gandoh left a policeman injured.

On June 26, three terrorists were killed in a day-long operation in the Gandoh area, and another encounter occurred in the Ghadi Bhagwah forest on July 9.

Since the beginning of this year, nearly a dozen terror attacks across six districts of Jammu province have resulted in the deaths of 27 people, including 11 security personnel, a village defence guard, and five terrorists.

The dead also included seven yatris returning from the Shiv Khori temple in Reasi district on June 9.