Four Army personnel were injured Sunday in a gunfight with terrorists in a remote forest area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials said, as security forces intensified their pursuit of suspects involved in the recent killing of two village defense guards (VDGs).
The encounter took place around 11 am when joint Army and police teams engaged with terrorists in the Keshwan forest, located a few kilometers from where the bullet-riddled bodies of VDGs Nazir Ahmad and Kuldeep Kumar were found last week, officials said, PTI reported.
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According to the Army’s White Knight Corps, intelligence reports indicated terrorist presence in the Bhart Ridge area, Kishtwar, prompting security forces to initiate a joint operation. “This is the same group which had abducted and killed 02 (two) innocent villagers (village defence guards). Contact was established and firefight ensued,” the White Knight Corps said in a post on X.
Officials said that four soldiers were injured in the initial exchange and were evacuated to a hospital, where three were reported to be in critical condition.
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Police confirmed the encounter, noting that three to four terrorists believed responsible for the VDG killings were trapped in the area. A massive search operation in the forests of Kuntwara and Keshwan was launched Thursday evening after the abductions and killings were reported.
The exchange of fire was ongoing, with security forces continuing their operation as of the latest reports.