Four Indian Army soldiers, including a Major, lost their lives during an encounter with terrorists in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. Officials reported that the Indian Army, in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, initiated a joint operation in the Desa area of Doda following specific intelligence regarding the presence of terrorists.
The Army announced on X that contact with the terrorists was made around 9 pm, leading to a heavy firefight. Initial reports indicated injuries among the soldiers. At least five soldiers were critically injured during the encounter, according to officials.
This incident marks the second major attack in the Jammu region within a week, following an encounter in Kathua last week that resulted in the deaths of five soldiers. In the Kathua attack, five more soldiers were injured in a coordinated strike on two trucks transporting approximately 12 troops. The terrorists used grenades and armor-piercing bullets, including those tipped with hardened steel, and an M4 assault rifle, targeting the trucks which were about 500 meters apart.
Previously unaffected by terrorism, the Jammu region has seen an increase in attacks, spreading from the Poonch and Rajouri districts. Over the past 32 months, 48 soldiers have been killed in action in this area.
Reports suggest that more than 60 foreign terrorists, trained in jungle warfare, may currently be operating in the Jammu region, causing widespread fear across all ten districts. Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed the Army to deploy its full range of anti-terrorist capabilities to eliminate terrorism in the Jammu region.
News – Simran
