Another Encounter Breaks Out In Jammu And Kashmir, 4th In 3 Days

Srinagar/New Delhi:

A fresh encounter broke out in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district today, leaving a soldier injured. This is the fourth encounter the Union Territory has seen in the last three days, and the second in Doda region of Jammu division since yesterday.

Terrorists launched an attack on pilgrims on June 9 in Reasi in which nine people died. Yesterday, an encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Kathua region.

One group comprising three to four terrorists were present in the higher reaches of Doda, a senior police officer had said this morning, adding a search operation was on to neutralise them on the challenging terrain.

Five soldiers of the Rashtriya Rifles and a special police officer (SPO) were injured on Tuesday night when the terrorists attacked a joint checkpost in the upper reaches of Chattergalla on the Bhaderwah-Pathankot road in the hilly district.

“Over the past few days, we were getting information about movement of terrorists through the intelligence branch of district police and accordingly, temporary posts jointly manned by army and police were set up in the higher reaches along with check points on the (inter-state) road,” Deputy Inspector General of Police, Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban range, Shridhar Patil, told reporters.

Reinforcements have been rushed to the area to strengthen the cordon. This was the second terror-related incident in Doda in the last 24 hours and fourth in three days in Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier on Tuesday evening, five Rashtriya Rifles personnel and a Special Police Officer were injured in a terrorist attack in Chattargalla pass.

In another incident late on Tuesday, a suspected Pakistani terrorist was killed by security forces in Kathua district. The overnight encounter ended after a second terrorist was also gunned down on Wednesday. A CRPF soldier was killed in action.

On Sunday, terrorists attacked a bus carrying pilgrims, causing it to veer off the road and fall into a deep gorge in Reasi, killing nine and injuring 41.

With inputs from PTI