Jammu and Kashmir: Army JCO killed, 3 injured in Kishtwar

A security personnel during search operation. Pic/PTI

A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Army's special forces was killed on Sunday, while three more soldiers were injured in a gunfight with terrorists in a remote forest area in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district.

The Army identified the fallen hero as Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar of 2 Para and saluted his supreme sacrifice.

The encounter broke out around 11 am when joint search parties of the Army and police intercepted the terrorists in the Keshwan forest, a few kilometres from the spot where the bullet-riddled bodies of two Village Defence Guards were found.

A massive search operation was launched in the forests of Kuntwara and Keshwan on Thursday evening after the terrorists abducted and killed the VDGs.

The Army's Jammu-based White Knight Corps said in a post on X, "Based on specific intelligence input regarding the presence of terrorists, a joint operation was launched by security forces in general area Bhart Ridge, Kishtwar. This is the same group which had abducted and killed 02 (two) innocent villagers (village defence guards). Contact was established and firefight ensued."

The officials said four Army personnel, including the JCO, were injured in the initial gunfight and evacuated to a hospital, where the condition of three of them was stated to be "critical". The JCO later succumbed to injuries.

Two-three terrorists believed to be trapped

Two to three terrorists are believed to be trapped in an encounter with security forces in Zabarwan forest area on the outskirts of Srinagar city on Sunday.

The gunbattle broke out around 9 am in the forest area connecting Dachigam and upper reaches of Nishat area here. The security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in the area following information about the presence of terrorists in the area.

"Due to the difficult terrain, the exact location is not noted.Some shots were fired on our troops as well. The cordon has been intensified and we are hopeful that militants will be tracked and neutralised," DIG, Central Kashmir, Rajiv Pandey said.

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