Soldier killed in anti-terror operation

Srinagar, July 23: A soldier who was injured during an exchange of fire with infiltrating terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Battal sector of Poonch district succumbed to his injuries, officials said on Tuesday.

He was identified as Lance Naik Subhash Chander of the 7 Jat Regiment and hailed from Nagla Mani village in Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh.

The incident occurred during the early hours of Tuesday when Lance Naik Chander, part of an ambush team in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch, sustained critical injuries in a gunfight with two terrorists attempting to infiltrate Indian territory.

The White Knight Corps confirmed the event, saying, “Alert troops foiled an infiltration bid by engaging the infiltrating terrorists with effective fire in the Battal sector at 3 am. During the exchange of heavy fire, one braveheart was injured. Operations are continuing.”

On Monday, terrorists attacked the house of village defence guard Parshotam Kumar and an Army picket in Gundna Khawas, injuring Kumar’s uncle Vijay Kumar and a soldier.

The 16 Corps, based in Nagrota, noted that the attack on the Village Defence Guard's house occurred at 3:10 am, raising concerns about terrorist presence in the area.

The operation to track down the terrorists is underway in the area.

This recent violence follows a series of attacks, including a gunfight in the Doda district on Thursday where two Army personnel were injured.

Meanwhile, in Jaddan Bata village, terrorists fired on a temporary camp at a government school around 2 am, critically injuring a soldier who was later evacuated to Udhampur Command Hospital.

Since the beginning of the year, nearly a dozen terror attacks in six districts of Jammu have resulted in the deaths of 27 people, including 11 security personnel, a Village Defence Guard, and five terrorists. Four Army personnel, including an officer, died from injuries sustained in a gunfight with heavily armed terrorists in Doda district last Tuesday.

This incident followed a terrorist ambush in the Machedi forest belt of Kathua district, which led to the deaths of five soldiers and injuries to five others.

The recent surge in terrorist activities has prompted heightened security measures and joint reviews by the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, paramilitary forces, and intelligence agencies.