J-K: Officer among four soldiers killed in Doda encounter

Srinagar: Indian Army Captain Brijesh Thapa and three soldiers, Naik D. Rajesh and Sepoys Bijendra and Ajay, were killed and another jawan injured in a gunfight with militants in Jammu and Kashmir's eastern Doda district overnight, official sources in Jammu said on Tuesday.

A report from Doda said that a member of J&K police’s counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) has also laid down his life in the encounter. The police have yet to confirm it,

The militants are reported to have disappeared in thick woods after the clash with the security forces. A massive search operation has been launched in the area to hunt them down, the sources said.

Official sources said in Jammu that "a contact was established with terrorists in the Uran Baggi forests in the general area of Dessa of Doda in which a Captain rank Army officer and three soldiers were martyred in the exchange of fire". They added that the firing continued for about 30 minutes and militants probably fled into the forest area by taking advantage of darkness.

The Army and J&K police reinforcements cordoned off the area and searches are going on, the police sources said.

Police sources said that the encounter started after the troops of the Army's Rashtriya Rifles and the SOG launched a joint cordon and search operation at Dhari Gote Uran Bagi in the Dessa forest area, about 50km away from the Doda town, around 7.45 pm on Monday.

The operation was launched on a reliable input about the presence of militants in the area, the sources said. In the gunfight five soldiers were injured and four of them succumbed, the sources added.

According to the Army sources, after a brief exchange of fire, the militants ran away from the spot but were chased by the troops led by Captain Thapa, despite challenging terrain and thick foliage, leading to another firefight in the woods around 9 pm in which the officer and four jawans were critically injured.

The Indian Army’s Additional Directorate General of Public Information, wrote on ‘X’, “General Updendra Dwivedi, the Chief of Army Staff and all ranks of the Indian Army convey their deepest condolences to the Bravehearts Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra & Sepoy Ajay, who laid down their lives in the line of duty, while undertaking a counter terrorist operation in Doda in order to ensure peace in the region.” It added, “The Indian Army stands firm with the bereaved families in this hour of grief.”

Defence minister Rajnath Singh expressed his anguish over the Army’s suffering losses in the incident but has reiterated that the Indian soldiers were determined to “eliminate the scourge of terrorism and restore peace and order” in J&K.

He wrote on microblogging site ‘X’, “The nation stands firmly with the families of our soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. The Counter Terrorist operations are underway, and our soldiers remain committed to eliminate the scourge of terrorism and restore peace and order in the region.”

He spoke to Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi, who apprised him about the ground situation and ongoing operation in the Doda forests.

J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also took to 'X' to condemn the killings and pledge that these will be avenged soon. He said, "I am deeply anguished to learn about the cowardly attack on our Army soldiers and JKP personnel in Doda district. Tributes to brave soldiers who made supreme sacrifice protecting our nation. My deepest condolences to members of the bereaved families."

He added, "We will avenge death of our soldiers & thwart the evil designs of terrorists and their associates. I call upon the people to unite in the fight against terrorism & provide us accurate information so that we can intensify anti-terror operations & neutralise the terror ecosystem.'

The Congress hit out the government and asked what happened to all those “grand claims” made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on J&K.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in a post on ‘X’, said, “Deeply distressed by the martyrdom of 4 brave Army soldiers, including an officer, in a terror encounter in Jammu & Kashmir’s Doda. Our heart goes out to the families of our Bravehearts, who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of Bharat Mata”.

He also said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured, and we him a speedy and complete recovery. No words of strong and unequivocal condemnation will suffice for these acts of violence being perpetrated by cowardly terrorists”.