An encounter broke out between militants and security forces on Tuesday, July 9, in a remote forest area in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, a day after five Indian Army personnel were killed in a terrorist attack in Kathua district.
The gunfight in the Ghadi Bhagwah forest, 35 km east of Doda town bordering Kishtwar district erupted when security forces launched a search and cordon operation following information about the presence of militants in the area, officials said. Heavy firing was going on between the two sides when last reports were received, the officials cited by news agency PTI said.
The security has been tightened in the area since the encounter began.
ANI shared visuals from the Doda encounter today, soldiers were prepared to combat any attack from the militants.
According to PTI, preliminary information revealed that at least two militants may have been hit by the retaliatory action.
The Congress said on Tuesday claimed that Jammu "becoming the centre of terror incidents" reflected the "strategic failure" of the Modi government and demanded that the Centre should take the country into confidence on steps it was taking to deal with the situation.
Armed terrorists, suspected to have infiltrated from across the border, attacked an Indian Army convoy on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, killing five personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO).
The ambush on Monday, the fifth terror attack in Jammu region in a month, of the patrolling party took place in the remote Machedi area of Kathua district.
The army vehicle, carrying ten occupants, came under the attack, resulting in fatal injuries to five soldiers, including a JCO. Five others were shifted to Pathankot military hospital for treatment. An exchange of fire between the terrorists and security forces ensued, with reinforcements quickly dispatched to the area to neutralise the attackers - believed to be three in number and heavily armed.
Kashmir Tigers, a shadow outfit of the banned Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), has claimed responsibility for the attack. It is the second major terror incident in Kathua district within one month, following a similar confrontation on June 12 and 13 that left two terrorists and a CRPF jawan dead.
A massive joint search operation was underway on Tuesday to track down terrorists responsible for the deadly attack, officials said. Officials said the ground search teams are being supported by helicopter and UAV surveillance. Sniffer dogs and metal detectors are also being employed in the operation with a focus on some dense forest areas in the belt.
The Kathua terror attack will not go unavenged and India will defeat the evil forces behind it, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane said on Tuesday.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed deep anguish over the killing of the soldiers and asserted that the armed forces are determined to usher in peace in the region.
Defence Secretary Aramane said the soldiers' "selfless service to the nation will always be remembered and their sacrifice will not go unavenged and India will defeat the evil forces behind the attack."
Top Army Officials Review Security
In the wake of recent terrorist attacks, top Army officials have reportedly been reviewing the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir actively to ensure operational preparedness and heightened vigilance in the region.
Lieutenant General Navin Sachdeva, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 16 Corps, visited forward areas in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Tuesday.
The White Knight Corps in a post on X emphasised the need for heightened alertness and vigilance round the clock, given the threat perception in the border region.
