Army Officer Killed In Fierce Encounter With Terrorists In J&K's Doda

An Army captain from the 48 Rashtriya Rifles lost his life in a gunfight with unidentified terrorists in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. The encounter occurred in a thickly forested area during a cordon and search operation (CASO) launched by a joint team to track down a group of terrorists hiding in the Shivgarh-Assar belt of Doda’s Assar area.

A Captain of the Indian Army from the 48 Rashtriya Rifles was killed in action during the ongoing Op Assar in Doda district. Operations are still in progress: Defence officials pic.twitter.com/i40wzOrJrj

— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2024

Encounter Leads to Recovery of Weapons

Security forces recovered an M4 rifle, clothing, and three rucksacks from the area following the clash. The operation, codenamed “Op Assar,” is still ongoing, according to Defence Ministry officials.

Doda encounter

Als0 Read: Independence Day: Things You Cannot Keep Along To Red Fort On Aug 15; Guidelines Released

Army Chief Briefs Defence Minister

Sources have reported that some of the terrorists may have been injured during the encounter, as bloodstains were found in the area. The Chief of the Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the ongoing anti-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir, including the situation in Doda.

Terrorists Tracked After Initial Exchange of Fire in Udhampur

The terrorists are believed to have crossed into Doda from a forest near Patnitop in the neighboring Udhampur district, following a brief exchange of fire with security forces. Contact with the terrorists was first established around 6 pm on Tuesday in Udhampur, leading to intermittent gunfire that paused overnight. The search resumed at daylight, with a renewed exchange of fire occurring around 7:30 am on Wednesday.

Also Read: Arvind Kejriwal Denied Interim Bail By Supreme Court