Kashmir Tigers, a shadow group of the Pakistan-backed and based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has taken the responsibility for the Doda attack.
Four army personnel, including an officer, who were critically injured in a gunfight with heavily-armed terrorists, succumbed to injuries in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir early Tuesday. The encounter unfolded during a joint operation by Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operations Group of J&K Police in the Desa forest belt. Despite the challenging terrain and dense foliage, the brave troops engaged in a fierce firefight with heavily-armed terrorists at Dhari Gote Urarbagi. Following a brief exchange of fire, the terrorists attempted to flee but were pursued by the soldiers, leading to another confrontation late in the evening. Tragically, five soldiers sustained critical injuries, with four of them, including the officer, tragically losing their lives.
Additional troops were moved in to tighten the cordon, as per officials. Around 2-3 terrorists were hiding in the area. Meanwhile, Kashmir Tigers, a shadow group of the Pakistan-backed and based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has taken the responsibility for the attack.
In a statement, the terror outfit said the clash and gunfire took place when the security forces launched a search operation for the ‘Mujahideen.’ Kashmir Tigers is the same group which also claimed responsibility for the attack on an Army convoy in Kathua on July 9.
J&K Police recovered old arms and ammunition from a terrorist hideout in the Reasi district. The arms and ammunition recovered include 30 rounds of AK-47, one magazine of AK-47 rifle, and one HE-36 hand grenade.
Op KOTHI – 2
Based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint operation by #IndianArmy and JKP was in progress in General area North of #Doda.
Contact with terrorists was established tonight at about 2100h in which heavy firefight ensued. Initial reports suggest injuries to our…
— White Knight Corps (@Whiteknight_IA) July 15, 2024
Army Chief briefs Rajnath on Doda operation
Chief of Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Tuesday briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district. The defence minister’s office said he spoke to Gen Dwivedi this morning.
“Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh spoke to CoAs, General Upendra Dwivedi this morning. RM was apprised of the ground situation and the ongoing Counter Terrorist Op in Doda by the Army Chief,” Singh’s office said on X.
Kathua terror attack
This was the second major encounter in the Jammu region after five soldiers were killed in action in Kathua last week. The attack, in which five soldiers were also injured, was a coordinated strike on two trucks carrying at least 12 troops.
The terrorists targeted the trucks, which were around 500 metres apart, with grenades and, in worrying signs, used armor-piercing bullets (those tipped with hardened steel) and an M4 assault rifle.
Terrorist attacks, which started in Poonch and Rajouri districts, have now spread across Jammu, the region that was free from terrorism till a few years ago. Over the last 32 months, 48 soldiers have been killed in action in the Jammu region.
(With inputs from agencies)