Capt among 4 soldiers killed in Doda gunfight; Indian Army vows to wipe out terror

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, July 16

Four soldiers, including a Captain, were killed in a gunfight with a group of terrorists armed with M4 carbines, AK assault rifles and night vision devices in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir late last night.

The deceased were identified as Capt Brijesh Thapa of Darjeeling (West Bengal), Naik D Rajesh of Srikakulam (Andhra Pradesh), and Sepoys Bijendra and Ajay Kumar Singh, both of Jhunjhunu (Rajasthan).

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The attack comes a week after a terrorist ambush on an Army patrol in the remote Machedi forest belt in Kathua district on July 8, which claimed the lives of five soldiers and injured as many.

The Army, in a statement, said, “All formations of northern command are committed to eliminate the scourge of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir for which relentless operations will continue.”

Accordingly, a joint operation with the J&K Police was launched at Dhari Gote Urarbagi in Desa forest belt of Doda district. Around 8.40 pm on July 15, the search team was able to establish contact with the terrorists hiding in the thickly forested and mountainous area with restricted visibility due to clouds and rain, it said.

After a brief exchange of fire, the terrorists tried to flee, but were chased by the troops led by the Captain despite the challenging terrain and thick foliage. This led to another firefight around 9 pm. Five soldiers were critically injured in the encounter. Four of them, including the Captain, later succumbed to their injuries, officials said.

Sources in the Army intelligence said a group of at least three-four ultras was hiding in the thick forest area. “It is evident they were having sophisticated night vision devices and powerful weapons, including M4 carbines,” they said.

The officials said the Army and police mobilised reinforcements on Monday night itself and launched a fresh search of the area with more troops on Tuesday morning. The Army’s elite para-commandos were deployed, while drones and helicopters were also pressed into service for surveillance, they said.

A terrorist group, Kashmir Tigers, which is affiliated to Jaish-e-Mohammad, has taken the responsibility of the attack. It has been learnt that the ultras were highly trained and probably of Pakistani origin.

In a renewed strategy, the terrorists seem to have shifted their focus from Rajouri and Poonch to less vulnerable areas of Jammu, including Kathua, Doda, Udhampur and Reasi, where multiple attacks have taken place in the recent past.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, in a statement on X, said, “We will avenge death of our soldiers and thwart the evil designs of terrorists. I call upon the people to unite in the fight against terrorism and provide us accurate information so that we can intensify anti-terror operations and destroy the terror ecosystem.”

Union Minister Jitendra Singh stated, “Let’s join together to defeat the nefarious designs of the enemy, and maintain peace and harmony for which Doda has always been known for.”