An Army officer and three personnel who were critically injured in a gunfight with terrorists in Doda district on Monday night have succumbed to their injuries, according to sources. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has been briefed on the situation by Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi.
The encounter began around 7:45 PM when troops from the Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of J&K Police launched a joint cordon and search operation in the Dhari Gote Urarbagi area of the Desa forest. Initial reports indicate that the exchange of fire lasted for over 20 minutes, resulting in injuries to four Army personnel, including an officer.
In response to the incident, additional troops have been deployed to the area, and operations are ongoing. The search operation was based on intelligence inputs regarding the presence of terrorists in the region.
This marks the third major encounter between security forces and terrorists in Doda district within the past three weeks. Last week’s terrorist ambush in the Machedi forest belt of Kathua district claimed the lives of five soldiers and injured several others.
Since 2021, over 70 people, including 52 security personnel—mostly from the Army—have been killed in terror-related incidents in the Jammu region, with Rajouri and Poonch districts being the most affected. During the same period, 54 terrorists have been eliminated in these areas.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers in a post on social media platform X, stating, “Deeply saddened by the loss of our brave and courageous Indian Army Soldiers in a counter terrorist operation in Urrar Baggi, Doda (J&K). My heart goes out to the bereaved families. The Nation stands firmly with the families of our soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.”
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also condemned the attack and paid tribute to the brave soldiers. He emphasized the need to unite in the fight against terrorism and urged the public to provide accurate information to aid in anti-terror operations. “We will avenge the death of our soldiers & thwart the evil designs of terrorists and their associates,” Sinha stated on X.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also paid tribute to the soldiers, expressing concern over the frequent incidents and attributing them to the BJP government’s policies.
