Army soldier killed in encounter in area adjoining J&K's Doda & Udhampur (Ld)

Jammu, Sep 20 (IANS) The Army soldier injured in the ongoing encounter between the joint forces and terrorists in Dudu Basantgarh area bordering Jammu and Kashmir's Doda and Udhampur districts succumbed on Saturday.

The anti-terrorist operation was started by the joint forces in the upper reaches of the Dudu Basantgarh area bordering between Doda and Udhampur districts after specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area.

Officials said one soldier, who sustained injuries during the initial firing exchanges, has succumbed.

His identity is being withheld pending formal procedures. The sacrifice, officials noted, reflects the continued challenges faced by security forces in counter-militancy operations across hilly terrain.

Preliminary reports suggest that two to three militants remain trapped as the encounter continues. Additional reinforcements have been rushed, and joint forces are maintaining tight cordons to prevent escape routes.

Security forces have intensified operations in recent weeks in Doda and adjoining areas, citing renewed terrorist activity in the higher reaches.

"Encounter is in progress. Joint teams of SOG, police and Indian Army on ground," Jammu IGP said in a post on X.

On June 26 this year, Haider, a terrorist, was killed in an encounter in the Dudu-Basantgarh forest, who was a top commander of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

He had been active in the area for the past four years.

On April 25, an Army soldier was killed in a gunfight with hiding terrorists in the Basantgarh area.

Elsewhere, an anti-terrorist operation continued on Saturday in Kishtwar district, while war-like stores of arms/ammunition were recovered by the joint forces in another operation in Poonch district.

Nagrota headquartered White Knight Corps of the Indian Army said on its official handle, "Contact with Terrorists. In an Intelligence-based operation in the general area of Kishtwar, alert troops of #WhiteKnightCorps established contact with terrorists at around 8 P.M. on 19 Sep 25. Exchange of fire took place. Operations are currently in progress.”

In another joint operation in Poonch district, war-like stores of arms and ammunition were recovered. "#JointOperation | Recovery of War-Like Stores. Alert #WhiteKnightCorps troops, while carrying out an intelligence-based joint search operation with #JKP, recovered one weapon (AK Series), four AK magazines, 20 Hand Grenades and other war-like stores in Poonch Sector. #SearchOperation in progress," White Knight Corps said in another post on X.

Joint forces have been carrying out aggressive operations against terrorists, their over ground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers in J&K.

Drug smugglers and peddlers are also on the radar of the joint forces, as it is believed by the Intelligence agencies that funds generated by drug smuggling and hawala money rackets are finally used to sustain terrorists in the Union Territory.

The targeting of terrorists, their OGWs and sympathisers, together with drug smugglers and hawala money racketeers, is part of the revised strategy of the joint forces to dismantle the entire ecosystem of terror in Jammu and Kashmir.

In the majority of drug smuggling and hawala money operations, the Intelligence agencies have been able to trace the roots across the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB).

Jammu and Kashmir has an International Border of 240 km length spread over Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts and a 740 km-long LoC in Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora in the Valley and Poonch and Rajouri in the Jammu division. The BSF guards the International Border while the Army guards the LoC.

--IANS

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