Captain among 4 soldiers killed
Srinagar, July 16: Four Army soldiers of Rashtriya Rifles including a Major-rank officer succumbed to their injuries after an encounter with terrorists on Monday night in Desa forests’ hilly terrain in Doda while massive searches are underway to track the attackers.
This was the second major encounter in the Jammu division after five soldiers were killed in Kathua last week.
The soldiers who laid their lives in the line of duty were identified by the Army as Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra, and Sepoy Ajay of 10 Rashtriya Rifles.
Sources in the security establishment said firing shots were heard between Uddan Bagi and Dheri Goth at Dessa in Doda at around 7:45 pm.
They said that the Army and J&K Police launched a joint operation in the Dessa area of Doda based on specific information about the presence of terrorists.
“Contact was established with terrorists four times,” a senior Police officer monitoring the operation said.
He said that during the chase of heavily armed terrorists, Army soldiers and an officer received grievous injuries.
“They were evacuated for specialised treatment, but succumbed to their grievous injuries,” a senior Police officer said.
He said that the encounter started after terrorists hiding inside the forests suddenly opened fire at a security forces’ party, which was carrying out searches in the area.
The Police officer said that the security forces retaliated and the exchange of fire between the two sides continued for nearly half an hour.
He said that since then, there has been no firing from the side of the terrorists.
The Police officer said that as a concerted part of the operation, neighbouring units had also been inducted, including 26 RR alongside a special forces’ team, drones, and helicopters for the search operation.
Additional troops have also moved into the area to track down the terrorists.
The Nagrota-based White Knight Corps, citing initial reports, confirmed the injuries Monday night in a post on X.
“Based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint operation by the Indian Army and JKP was in progress in the general area north of Doda,” White Knight Corps said in a post on X last night.
Following the spurt in incidents of terror attacks and reports about the movement of terrorists from different places in Jammu division, the Police and security forces launched joint combing and search operations on a massive scale in various parts of Jammu division.
This was the second major encounter in the Jammu division after five soldiers were killed in action in Kathua last week.
The attack, in which five soldiers were also injured, was a coordinated strike on two trucks carrying at least 12 troops.
The terrorists targeted the trucks, which were around 500 metres apart, with grenades and, in worrying signs, used armour-piercing bullets (those tipped with hardened steel) and an M4 assault rifle.
Terrorist attacks, which started in Poonch and Rajouri districts, have now spread across the Jammu division, the region that was free from terrorism till a few years ago.
Over the last 32 months, 48 soldiers have been killed in action in the Jammu region.
