GUWAHATI: Four army personnel, including an officer, who were critically injured in a gunfight with heavily armed terrorists, reportedly succumbed to their injuries in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, early on Tuesday, July 16.
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The confrontation reportedly took place during a joint operation conducted by the Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Operations Group of the J&K Police in the Desa forest area.
Despite difficult terrain and dense vegetation, the troops engaged in a fierce battle with the terrorists at Dhari Gote Urarbagi. After an initial exchange of gunfire, the terrorists attempted to escape but were pursued by the soldiers, leading to another clash later in the evening.
Tragically, five soldiers were reportedly critically wounded, and four of them, including an officer, ultimately lost their lives. Officials reported that additional troops were deployed to tighten the cordon around the area, where 2-3 terrorists were believed to be hiding.
The Kashmir Tigers, a shadow group of the Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist organisation, reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, the group said the confrontation occurred when security forces initiated a search operation for their fighters. The Kashmir Tigers had also claimed responsibility for an attack on an Army convoy in Kathua on July 9.
Meanwhile, the J&K Police discovered a cache of old arms and ammunition in a terrorist hideout in the Reasi district. The recovered items included 30 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, an AK-47 rifle magazine, and an HE-36 hand grenade, as per reports.
This incident marks the second major encounter in the Jammu region within a week, following a coordinated attack in Kathua that resulted in the deaths of five soldiers and injuries to five others. The attack targeted two trucks carrying at least 12 troops.