Army Captain Killed, Civilian Injured in Gunfight with Terrorists in J&K’s Doda
Terrorist Encounter Leads to Casualties and Ongoing Operations
On Wednesday, an Army captain was killed, and a civilian was injured during a fierce gunfight with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district. The incident is part of a surge in terrorist activity in the region, particularly south of the Pir Panjal mountains, which separate Jammu from the Kashmir Valley.
The Army identified the fallen officer as Captain Deepak Singh of the 48 Rashtriya Rifles (RR). In a statement on X, the Army honored Captain Singh’s bravery, saying, “All Ranks of #WhiteKnightCorps salute the supreme #sacrifice of #Braveheart Capt Deepak Singh who succumbed to his injuries. #WhiteKnightCorps offers deepest condolences and stands firm with the bereaved family in this hour of grief.” Captain Singh, who sustained three gunshot wounds to his chest, continued to direct his team until he was hospitalized and later succumbed to his injuries.
The firefight erupted around 7:30 am during a cordon and search operation in the Akar forest area near Patnitop in Udhampur district. The terrorists, who had earlier clashed with security forces, crossed into Shivgarh Dhar in Assar of Doda. Security forces recovered three blood-soaked backpacks and US-made M-4 carbines from the scene. “One of the terrorists was injured… We have recovered US-made M-4 carbine and ammunition that was kept in three backpacks. It appears that the terrorists abandoned some of their weapons and ammunition to flee with their injured colleague,” a police officer stated.
Doda’s police superintendent, Javed Iqbal, confirmed that the operation is ongoing. “We have found bloodstains at the encounter site and suspect that three to four terrorists are holed up in the area.” Security forces have deployed drones to assist in locating the remaining terrorists.
The gunbattle took place near Baggar on the Jammu-Doda national highway, with security force vehicles lining the road. Over the past three months, there has been an increase in terror attacks in the Jammu region. According to the Union home ministry, 28 people, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in 11 terror-related incidents and 24 counter-terror operations this year.
Northern Army Commander Lt Gen M V Suchindra Kumar visited Doda and Kishtwar on August 13 to review anti-militancy operations in the Chenab Valley. In response to the escalating violence, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh convened a meeting on August 14 to address the rising number of terror-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the 78th Independence Day.
(With inputs from agency)
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