Encounter underway in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda, 1 terrorist injured, rifle found

An Army officer was injured in a gunfight that broke out between security forces and unidentified terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Wednesday.

According to sources, the gunfight broke out in the Assar area of Doda district. The security personnel recovered an M4 rifle, clothes, and three rucksack bags from the area during a search operation.

The terrorists are believed to be hiding in the Shivgarh-Assar belt of Doda, they said, adding one of them might have also got injured as blood stains were spotted in the area.

Informing about the gunfight, the Indian Army’s White Knight Corps in a post on X, said, “*Op ASSAR* Based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint operation by #IndianArmy and #JKP was launched in Akar Forest near Patnitop. Contact has been established with the terrorists and operations are in progress.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen M V Suchindra Kumar reviewed the ongoing anti-terrorist operations in the Chenab valley region of Jammu and Kashmir.

Lt Gen Kumar visited the forward locations of counter-insurgency Delta force in Doda and Kishtwar and exhorted all ranks to maintain a high tempo of operations, ensuring security and safety for ongoing and upcoming events, the Army’s Northern Command posted on X.

The Army shared four pictures of the General Officer Commanding-in-chief, northern command’s interaction with the troops on the ground.

“He (Lt Gen Kumar) assessed the options for deployment of additional forces being inducted into the area and emphasised on synergy with Jammu and Kashmir police and paramilitary forces,” the post read.

While higher reaches of Doda district of Jammu region have witnessed over half-a-dozen encounters at different places since June 12 that left four soldiers, including a captain and three foreign terrorists dead and some security personnel injured, a brief gunfight between terrorists and security forces took place during search operations in Nownatta and Naagseni Peyaas in Kishtwar district on August 11.