Four security personnel, including an army officer, who were critically injured in a gunfight with terrorists in a forest area in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Monday night succumbed to their injuries, said officials, reported PTI.
The encounter broke out after the troops of Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a joint cordon and search operation at Dhari Gote Urarbagi in the Desa forest area around 7:45 pm, they said, according to a PTI report.
Four army personnel, including an officer and a police personnel, were injured in the exchange of fire which initially went on for over 20 minutes, they said.
#WATCH | Morning visuals from the Doda area of Jammu & Kashmir.
An Encounter started late at night in the Dessa area of Doda in which some of the Indian Army troops got injured.
(Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/ZQdSSRSjun
— ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2024
The injured have been evacuated to hospital and their condition was said to be “critical”, said the officials, as per the report.
Additional troops were moved into the area, said the Army and the operation was continuing when reports last came in, stated PTI.
Based on input about the presence of terrorists, the operation was launched by the armed forces, said the officials.
The exchange of fire between the security forces and terrorists in the Desa forest area was confirmed by a police spokesperson but said that “further details are awaited.”
“Based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint operation by Indian Army and JKP was in progress in the general area North of Doda,” the Army’s 16 Corps, also known as White Knight Corps, posted on X.
“Contact with terrorists was established tonight at about 2100 h in which heavy firefight ensued. Initial reports suggest injuries to our bravehearts,” it said, adding: “Additional troops have been moved into the area. Operations are continuing.”