An Army captain was tragically killed, and four terrorists are believed to have been neutralized in an ongoing operation in the higher reaches of Jammu’s Doda district on Wednesday, according to officials.
The encounter, which erupted just a day before Independence Day, also left a civilian injured and marks the latest in a series of violent incidents in the Jammu region.
The operation unfolded in a dense forest area during a cordon and search operation (CASO) conducted by a joint team aiming to track down a group of foreign terrorists hiding in the Shivgarh-Assar belt, officials reported.
The young captain sustained critical injuries and was rushed to a military hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds, officials confirmed.
At the site of the encounter, four blood-stained rucksacks were recovered, leading officials to believe that four terrorists were killed. Additionally, M-4 carbines were found at the scene, indicating the terrorists were well-armed.
The terrorists are reportedly holed up near a river in the Assar area, according to one official.
However, the Army’s official X (formerly Twitter) account stated that an officer had been injured during the operation.
“The search for the terrorists continues amidst heavy firefighting. One officer has been injured while leading the search party. War-like stores have been recovered as operations continue,” the White Knight Corps posted.
The terrorists are believed to have crossed into Doda from a forest near Patnitop in the adjacent Udhampur district after a brief exchange of fire with security forces there, officials noted.
According to officials, security forces first made contact with the terrorists around 6 pm in Udhampur on Tuesday. The encounter began approximately half an hour later and continued intermittently until both sides paused. A cordon was established overnight, and the search resumed at daylight. Around 7:30 am today, a renewed exchange of fire took place.
With inputs from PTI.