The red box shows the Desa forest area where the encounter took place. (Google Maps)
Udhampur/Jammu/New Delhi: Four Indian Army soldiers, including a major, were killed in action during an intense encounter with militants in the Desa forest area of Jammu & Kashmir’s Doda district, which falls in the Jammu region. The operation was a joint effort by the Indian Army and the Jammu & Kashmir Police, initiated on July 14 based on specific intelligence inputs regarding the presence of militants.
The gunfight ensued after troops from the Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Operations Group of J&K Police launched a cordon-and-search operation at Dhari Gote Urarbagi around 7.45pm on July 15. The exchange of fire lasted for over 20 minutes, resulting in critical injuries to five security personnel, including the major and a policeman. The injured were evacuated to hospitals, but unfortunately, four of them succumbed to their injuries, including the major.
The fate of the injured policeman is not known yet.
According to officials, contact was established with the militants at around 9pm, leading to a heavy exchange of fire. Earlier, the Army’s XVI Corps, headquartered in Nagrota, confirmed the incident in a social media post, stating: “Initial reports suggest injuries to our bravehearts.”
Details on the number or identity of the militants involved remain unclear. Officials said the Army has cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to track down the militants. The operation is ongoing, and further details are awaited.
This encounter comes amid heightened security concerns in the region. In the past month alone, four encounters in the Jammu region have taken place. Last week, five Army personnel were killed when militants ambushed their vehicles near Kathua.
Note: This is a developing story. It will be updated when further details on the encounter and casualties are released.
