Jammu- Four Army personnel, including a captain, were killed in a fierce gunfight with heavily armed terrorists of Pakistan-based banned outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Doda district, the third major terror incident in Jammu region in three weeks.
The attack on Monday night, which came a week after terrorists ambushed an Army patrol vehicle in Kathua district killing five soldiers and injuring as many, has sparked widespread condemnation and protests in Jammu and other regions.
Captain Brijesh Thapa from Darjeeling, Naik Dokkari Rajesh from Andhra Pradesh, and Sepoys Bijendra and Ajay Kumar Singh from Rajasthan suffered fatal injuries in the gunfight in the Desa forest area, where troops from the Rashtriya Rifles and Jammu and Kashmir Police had launched a cordon-and-search operation.
Following the encounter, security forces, including Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police, swiftly launched an extensive operation in the Desa forest belt to flush out terrorists.
In a statement, the Army said it has been conducting a series of joint and coordinated operations with Jammu and Kashmir Police to eliminate foreign terrorists who have infiltrated from across the border and are moving in the upper reaches of Udhampur, Doda and Kishtwar districts in Jammu region and thereafter to Kashmir.
“All formations of northern command are committed to eliminating the scourge of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir for which the relentless operations will continue,” the Army said.
The opposition parties, meanwhile, attacked the Centre, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying such horrific incidents one after the other are extremely worrying and the Army soldiers and their families are bearing the brunt of “BJP’s wrong policies”.
The Kashmir Tigers, a JeM shadow group, has claimed responsibility for the latest attack.
Despite the challenging terrain and weather conditions, efforts are underway to track down and neutralise the militants who have links with the banned Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group, officials said.
The Army, along with para-commandos and aerial support from drones and helicopters, is intensifying its search operation to eliminate the terrorists who are suspected to have infiltrated from across the border and taken refuge in the forest area.
There has been a resurgence of terror activities in Jammu in recent months, underscoring the persistent threat posed by extremist elements seeking to destabilise the peace in the region.
The Jammu region, once relatively peaceful, has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities since 2021. Over 70 people, including 52 security personnel, mostly from the Army, have lost their lives in these attacks.
The security forces remain vigilant in their efforts to safeguard the lives of civilians and defend the sovereignty of the nation against such acts of violence, the officials said.
Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir including two main regional parties — the National Conference and the PDP — condemned the Doda incident.
The PDP chief, Mehbooba Mufti, demanded the sacking of J-K Director General of Police (DGP) R R Swain.
Mufti expressed concerns over the increasing casualties among young Army officers in the region and sought accountability for the “loss of 50 soldiers in the past 32 months” in terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, saying “heads should have rolled by now” and the DGP should have been sacked.
In Ranchi, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said India will give a befitting reply to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, underscoring the country’s commitment to ensuring peace in the region.
Congress workers held anti-Pakistan protests in Jammu and criticised the BJP-led government for the “failure of the security grid” in Jammu and Kashmir to address the escalating terrorist activities.
Led by Jammu and Kashmir Congress working president Raman Bhalla, hundreds of workers took out a march and raised anti-Pakistan slogans. They demanded immediate comprehensive operations to clear the hills of Jammu of terrorist elements.
Notably, terrorism seems to be back in Chenab valley, especially in district Doda, as the fifth terror incident was witnessed in the area since June 11.
The Uran Baggi fire fight in Dessa area of district Doda has been the lethal one as four Army soldiers including a captain rank officer were killed.
According to KNO, the first fire fight began in Chattergala on June 11 in which four soldiers and a policeman were injured followed by a contact with another group of militants in Gundoh on June 12.
Thereafter, the security forces managed to trap three terrorists in Gundoh and eliminated them on June 26 and on July 9, an encounter broke out in Goli-Gadi area of Doda where after the heavy exchange of fire, militants managed to give forces a slip.
Now, the July 15 encounter in Uran Baggi in Dessa area is a fatal one and militants also managed to flee from the area. What is common about all these five encounters is that terrorists have been taking advantage of dense forests which have allowed them to remain at large.
The Chenab valley like Kashmir valley witnessed the gun culture in the 1990s and it almost vanished by 2007.
Now, again terrorists are trying to revive by resorting to attacks on security forces but as the Director General of Police (DGP) RR Swain has already said that is their desperate attempt but with the support of people, security forces will be able to eliminate them.
LG Sinha Lays Wreath
Hours after losing an officer among four soldiers in a counter terror operation in the woods of Doda, Army’s Northern Command has said that it is committed to eliminate the scourge of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir for which the relentless operations will continue.
Also, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha laid a wreath and paid homage to brave-hearts while Additional Director General of Police Jammu Anand Jain also visited the site in Dessa area of Doda where a search operation is underway.
Earlier, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha laid wreath and paid homage to Captain (Major) Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra and Sepoy Ajay, who have made supreme sacrifice during the anti-terror operation in Doda.
“I salute the brave warriors who displayed exemplary courage and made supreme sacrifice for the nation. The nation will never forget the sacrifice made by the gallant heroes. The entire nation stands firmly with the families of martyrs in this hour of grief,” the LG said.
Sinha expressed grief over the loss of lives in the ongoing encounter.
“I am deeply anguished to learn about the cowardly attack on our Army soldiers and JKP personnel in Doda district. Tributes to brave soldiers who made supreme sacrifice protecting our nation. My deepest condolences to members of the bereaved families. We will avenge the death of our soldiers & thwart the evil designs of terrorists and their associates. I call upon the people to unite in the fight against terrorism & provide us accurate information so that we can intensify anti-terror operations & neutralise the terror ecosystem,” he posted on X.
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