By Tannistha Dey
A soldier was killed in a gunfight with suspected terrorists from Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in the Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir. The encounter occurred in the Basantgarh area on the Doda-Udhampur border in a tri-junction geographical location that connects the Udhampur, Doda, and Kathua districts. Based on some very specific intelligence inputs, an operation was commenced by security forces, including the Army, Special Operations Group (SOG), and police, against 3-4 terrorists.
During the subsequent heavy exchange of fire, one Army jawan was shot and severely injured. He later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. The operation is still ongoing; reports indicate that the terrorists were trapped in the Dudu Basantgarh Heights area.
Basantgarh has experienced multiple engagements between militants and security forces over the last year. Most recently, on June 26, Haider, a senior commander of JeM who operated in this area for the past 4 years, was killed in an encounter. Earlier this year, on April 25, another Army trooper was killed while engaging with terrorists who had taken positions in Basantgarh.
The Jammu region has increased militant activity in the last four years, and this has prompted the government to scale up counter-terror initiatives. Troops and paramilitary forces were moved to the region to increase security amid contending with the growing threat of battle-tested terrorists.
Meanwhile, in a related story, the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Counter-Intelligence unit had massive searches in Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kupwara, Handwara, Pulwama, and Shopian in relation to a terror case investigation and seized contraband, such as digital instruments and documents.
The latest encounter is the second high-profile gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir within two weeks, underscoring security issues within the region.