New Delhi:

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has paid tribute to the four soldiers killed on Monday in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda. “Today, our soldiers were martyred in another terrorist encounter in Jammu and Kashmir. I pay my humble tribute to the martyrs and express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families,” he posted in Hindi on X Tuesday morning.

Mr Gandhi, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said the number of such attacks on Indian soldiers in J&K in the past few months is “extremely sad and worrying”.

He also hit out at the government for the “poor condition of Jammu and Kashmir” and said the soldiers there are “bearing the brunt of the BJP’s wrong policies”. The “wrong policies” reference has been seen as an attack on the Modi government over the scrapping of Article 370 in J&K.

“It is the demand of every patriotic Indian that the government should take full responsibility for repeated security lapses,” Mr Gandhi said and called for “strict action” against the terrorists.

आज जम्मू कश्मीर में फिर से एक आतंकी मुठभेड़ में हमारे जवान शहीद हो गए। शहीदों को विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि अर्पित करते हुए शोक संतप्त परिजनों को गहरी संवेदनाएं व्यक्त करता हूं।

एक के बाद एक ऐसी भयानक घटनाएं बेहद दुखद और चिंताजनक है।

लगातार हो रहे ये आतंकी हमले जम्मू कश्मीर की जर्जर…

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 16, 2024

However, Mr Gandhi also underlined the need for political unity at this time, and the importance of the opposition supporting the government as it responds to the increased terror threat.

“In this hour of grief, the entire country stands united against terrorism,” he said.

Four soldiers, including an officer, were killed in action in Doda district. The terrorists had attacked a joint operation – of the Army and J&K Police – formed to track them down.

READ | 4 Soldiers Killed In Action In Encounter With Terrorists In J&K’s Doda

Contact was made late Monday night, the Army had said.

The operation is ongoing, NDTV has been told.

Sources told NDTV Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi and took stock of the ground situation and ongoing operation in Doda.

This was the second major encounter in the Jammu region after five soldiers were killed in action in Kathua last week. That attack, in which five were also injured, was a coordinated strike on two trucks – with grenades and armour-piercing bullets, and an American-made assault rifle.

READ | Kathua Terror Attack On 2 Trucks, Armour-Piercing Bullets Used

The attacks, which began in Poonch and Rajouri, have now spread across Jammu, a region that was free from terrorism till a few years ago. In the last 32 months, 48 soldiers have been killed.

Earlier this month Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Parliament the fight against terrorism in J&K is in its last stage, and that a multi-pronged strategy had been adopted to destroy the remaining network. “Our fight against terrorism in J&K, in a way, is in last stage, last leg. We are moving with a multi-pronged strategy to eliminate the remaining terror network there,” he said.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

New Delhi:

Four Indian Army soldiers, including an officer, have been killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Monday.

A Jammu and Kashmir police personnel is also said to have been injured when the encounter broke out in the Desa area of the Doda district on Monday night. 

A joint operation by the Indian Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police was launched based on specific information about the presence of terrorists.

“Contact with terrorists was established at about 9 pm in which heavy firefight ensued. Initial reports suggest injuries to our bravehearts,” the Army had posted on X on Monday night.

Op KOTHI – 2

Based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint operation by #IndianArmy and JKP was in progress in General area North of #Doda.

Contact with terrorists was established tonight at about 2100h in which heavy firefight ensued. Initial reports suggest injuries to our…

— White Knight Corps (@Whiteknight_IA) July 15, 2024

At least five soldiers were critically injured in the encounter, officials had said.

Second Major Attack In Jammu Region

This was the second major encounter in the Jammu region after five soldiers were killed in action in Kathua last week.

The attack, in which five soldiers were also injured, was a coordinated strike on two trucks carrying at least 12 troops.

The terrorists targeted the trucks, which were around 500 metres apart, with grenades and, in worrying signs, used armor-piercing bullets (those tipped with hardened steel) and an M4 assault rifle.

Terrorist attacks, which started in Poonch and Rajouri districts, have now spread across Jammu, the region that was free from terrorism till a few years ago.

Over the last 32 months, more than 40 soldiers have been killed in action in the Jammu region. 

There are reports over 60 foreign terrorists – trained in jungle warfare – may be operating in the Jammu region alone, even as the shadow of fear has spread across all 10 districts of the province.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked the Army to deploy the full spectrum of its anti-terrorist capabilities to eliminate terrorism in the Jammu region.

Doda (Jammu and Kashmir):

The army and the Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda police busted a terrorist hideout in a joint search operation in Seoz Dhar Bhaderwah on Wednesday and recovered several weapons.

A statement issued by the Doda police said acting on specific information about a terrorist hideout, a joint search operation was launched with the army. The troops busted a terrorist hideout in the upper reaches of Seoz Dhar Bhaderwah, which is a forest area.

The team recovered three Chinese pistols, nine pistol magazines and 79 rounds of from the hideout.

A First Information Report under relevant sections has been registered at the police station Bhaderwah and an investigation has been started.

The Doda police in close coordination with the army and the CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) is carrying out a joint search operation, surveillance and area domination with special focus on the upper reaches.