Security forces repulse terror attack on temporary camp in J&K’s Doda, 2 soldiers injured

Jammu: Two army personnel were injured in a gunfight with terrorists in a remote forest village in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district on Thursday, officials said, as security forces continued their search in the region for the ultras who killed four soldiers three days ago.

The gunfight, lasting more than an hour, took place at Jaddan Bata village in the Kastigarh area around 2 am when the terrorists opened fire on a temporary camp established in a government school for the ongoing search operation, they said.

One of the critically injured army personnel was evacuated to the Udhampur-based command hospital by an advanced light helicopter (ALH) despite challenging weather conditions, a defence spokesperson said.

"Swift action by ALH from Air Force Station, Udhampur, saved a critically injured soldier's life in Doda (J-K). Despite challenging weather, the evacuation was successful, ensuring timely medical care at Command Hospital, Udhampur. Kudos to the team for their dedication and bravery," PRO Defence, Jammu, posted on X.

In a separate incident, security forces guarding a forward post opened fire after observing suspicious movement near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district late Wednesday night.

The area was searched on Thursday morning but nothing linked to the suspicious movement was found on the ground, the officials said.

On the search operation in Doda, launched following the killing of the four soldiers, including a captain, the officials said despite inclement weather and challenging terrain, security forces are conducting the operation to track down the terrorists. They are determined to eliminate them and restore peace in the area, they added.

"Security forces on the ground are engaged in a well-coordinated operation against terrorists with whom we had contact yesterday and today as well. The operation is under progress and we will get success soon," Deputy Inspector General of Police, Doda-Kishtwar and Ramban Range, Shridhar Patil told reporters in Kastigarh, around 30 km from the spot of the Monday attack.

He, however, refused to share more details citing the continuation of the operation.

On Thursday attack, the officials said the terrorists after opening fire on the temporary camp inside the school building fled into a dense forest area.

Meanwhile, Kashmir Tigers, a shadow group of proscribed Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit, released a purported video of the Monday attack on social media that showed a brutal display of running a knife on the throat of an army officer.

Army sources dismissed the video as doctored and said the attack had taken place around 9 pm on Monday.

It is simply a propaganda video by Pakistani terror handlers to mislead and create fear among the people, the sources said.

The Doda district, which was cleared of terrorism in 2005, has witnessed a series of attacks since June 12 when six security personnel were injured in a terror attack in Chattergala pass, followed by a firefight in Gandoh the next day which left one policeman injured.

Three terrorists were killed in a day-long operation in the Gandoh area of the district on June 26, while another encounter occurred in the Ghadi Bhagwah forest on July 9.

Since the beginning of this year, 27 people, including 11 security personnel, a village defence guard and five terrorists, have been killed in nearly a dozen terror attacks in six districts of the Jammu province.

The officials said Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law and Order, Vijay Kumar will oversee operations against the terrorists who infiltrated from across the border and are hiding in the higher reaches of otherwise peaceful Jammu region.