Soldier killed in encounter with terrorists in Udhampur

A soldier was killed in an encounter between the security forces and terrorists in the higher reaches of Udhampur district, officials said on Saturday.

The soldier, Lance Dafadar Baldev Chand, was injured late on Friday evening in an exchange of fire between a joint team of the police and the Army and the terrorists at Kanji in the Seoj Dhar, which is located on the Doda-Udhampur border of the Jammu region, the officials said. The soldier was shifted to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

A senior police official said there were inputs that a group of terrorists were present in the area and subsequently an operation was launched.

“There was a firefight with the terrorists. One jawan sustained bullet wounds. He succumbed to injuries,” the senior official said.

“The GOC, White Knight Corps, and all ranks pay solemn tribute to Lance Dafadar Baldev Chand, who made the supreme sacrifice during an ongoing operation at Kanji, Udhampur, on the night of September 19-20,” the Army posted on X.

“We stand with the bereaved family in this hour of grief,” it said.

The Army late on Friday said a contact was established around 8 pm and an “exchange of fire took place”.

On Saturday, sources said efforts were underway to hunt down the terrorists present in the area.

Of late, militants have shifted the battleground from the Valley to the mountainous forests of Jammu, which have witnessed a sharp rise in the number of terror attacks in the recent past. From the mountains of Poonch and Rajouri, militant footprints even spread to the Chenab region and the plains of Kathua bordering Punjab.

Security officials say groups of highly trained militants who are currently operating in the Jammu region are taking advantage of topography and using encrypted communication systems.