J&K: One soldier injured during exchange of fire in Battal sector; counter operation underway

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 23 (ANI): One soldier has been injured during the exchange of fire after troops foiled an infiltration bid by effectively engaging infiltrating terrorists with effective fire in the Battal Sector in Jammu, the White Knight Corps said.

The exchange of fire occurred in the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. Operations are underway in the Battal sector.

“Alert troops foiled an infiltration bid by effectively engaging infiltrating terrorists with effective fire in the Battal Sector at 0300h. During the exchange of heavy fire, one braveheart has been injured. Operations are continuing,” the White Knight Corps posted on X.

Earlier, the terrorists attacked the Village Development Committee (VDC) at Gunda village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri in the early hours of Monday during a firefight with security personnel, the White Knight Corps said.

Following the attack, an Army column near the area reacted, kicking off a firefight, they added.

“Op Gunda Terrorists attacked the house of a VDC in Gunda, Rajouri at 0310h. A nearby Army column reacted and a firefight ensued,” the White Knight Corps stated in a post on ‘X’.

In the last few months, there has been a spike in terror attacks in the Jammu region, including the terror attack at the army convoy in Kathua and encounters in Doda and Udhampur.

Earlier on Thursday, the Indian Army troops opened fire after suspicious movement near the Line of Control in the Sunderbani area of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a separate incident, two Indian Army soldiers were injured in an encounter with terrorists in the Kastigarh area of Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

The encounter came days after four army soldiers, including an officer, laid down their lives while battling terrorists in the Doda encounter on Tuesday.

On July 15, based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint operation by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police was in progress in an area North of Doda. According to the White Knight Corps, contact with terrorists was established at about 9 pm during which a heavy firefight ensued. Four soldiers, including an officer, were killed in action. The soldiers killed in action have been identified as Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra, and Sepoy Ajay.

On July 16, Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar, Northern Army Commander, laid a wreath to pay homage to the bravehearts Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra and Sepoy Ajay Kumar Singh, who laid down their lives in the line of duty to ensure peace in the region, while undertaking a counter-terrorist operation in Doda.