Four Army personnel, including a Captain, and a Jammu and Kashmir policeman were killed in a counter-terrorist operation at Doda in Jammu that began on Monday night and was still continuing late on Tuesday night. Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh of the situation on the ground on Tuesday morning.
The soldiers who died were identified as Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D. Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra, and Sepoy Ajay. This is the latest in a series of militant attacks over the last few months in Jammu and Kashmir, with terrorist activity particularly shifting to the Jammu region, which has resulted in significant casualties among civilians and security forces.
(Left to right) Captain Brijesh Thapa, Sepoy Bijendra, Sepoy Ajay Kumar Singh and NK (OFC) Dokkari Rajesh who were killed in the encounter between security forces and terrorists in Doda district on July 16, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI
“The Minister was apprised of the ground situation and the ongoing counter terrorist operation in Doda by the Army Chief,” Mr. Singh’s office said in a post on X. “Indian Army stands firm with the bereaved families in this hour of grief,” the Army said in its own post.
Infilitrators in Doda
“Indian Army has been conducting a series of joint and coordinated operations with JKP to eliminate foreign terrorists who have infiltrated and are moving in the upper reaches of Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar and Bhaderwah areas and thereafter to Kashmir Valley,” the Army’s Jammu spokesperson Lt. Col. Suneel Bartwal said in a statement on Tuesday.
About 12 to 14 terrorists are estimated to be in the Doda area, spilt into three groups, defence sources said.
Based on specific intelligence inputs, the Army and the Jammu & Kashmir Police (JKP) launched a joint operation in the Urarbaggi area, about 10 km north of Doda. “At about [8:40 p.m.] on July 15, the search party was able to establish contact with the terrorists hiding in the area, which is a thickly forested and mountainous area with restricted visibility due to low clouds and rain,” Lt. Col. Bartwal said.
The four Army personnel were injured in the initial volley of fire, and later succumbed to their injuries, he said. Additional troops and equipment, including drones and other technical resources, are being used to flush out the terrorists. Similar operations are being relentlessly conducted in the Kathua area, he added.
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Deadly attacks
There has been a distinct shift in terrorist violence to the south of the Pir Panjal in recent months, reminiscent of the early 2000s when this area was a hotbed of terrorism. Since May this year, 13 members of the security forces have been killed in the area, including nine Army personnel, and one person each from the Air Force, Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, and the JKP. Since November 2021, over 30 Army personnel have been killed in terror incidents in the area, while over 40 terrorists have been neutralised.
Defence sources said one of the major reasons for the high casualty rate was the lack of credible ground intelligence in the Jammu region south of the Pir Panjal. This is also exacerbated by the reduced number of security forces in the area in recent years. However, sources said that some additional troops have been brought in recently. In addition to reduced human intelligence, another challenge is the improved Chinese-made communication equipment being used by the terrorists, which has made interception difficult.
Also read: Why is militancy on the rise in Jammu? | Explained
Cross-border involvement
Hinting at Pakistan’s continued involvement in promoting terror in the State, Lt. Col. Bartwal said that the analysis of a large quantity of warlike stores recovered from the dead terrorists reveals the hand of “inimical agencies” from across the border.
“Similar intelligence-based and area domination operations are continuing in the Kashmir region, north of the Pir Panjal ranges,” he said, adding that the Line of Control and border fence is intact. On July 14, an infiltration attempt was foiled and three terrorists were killed, while a large quantity of war-like stores was seized in the Kupwara region.
Capt. Thapa was part of a Rasthriya Rifles unit and the son of retired Colonel Bhuwanesh Thapa. Responding to the news of his death, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed condolences on X. “Sad to know that Brijesh Thapa, a young Army officer from Darjeeling sacrificed his life in the line of duty in Jammu and Kashmir. My sincere condolences,” she said.
