CRPF jawan killed in encounter with terrorists in J&K, six security personnel injured

Terrorists open indiscriminate fire to break security cordon in Saida Sukhal village of Kathua district

Jammu: A CRPF jawan was killed and six security personnel were injured in two overnight encounters with terrorists in Kathua and Doda districts of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Wednesday.

In Doda district, five troopers of Rashtriya Rifles and a special police officer (SPO) were injured when terrorists attacked a joint check post in the upper reaches of Chattergalla on the Bhaderwah-Pathankot road.

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On the other hand, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan Kabir Dass was critically injured in a firing by a terrorist holed up in Kathua district’s Saida Sukhal village around 3 am, officials said, adding the soldier was shifted to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries during treatment.

They said the terrorist opened indiscriminate fire to break the security cordon in the village, over 60 km from here. Terrorists attacked the village near the International Border on Tuesday evening and injured a civilian.

During a subsequent search operation, one terrorist was killed while efforts were being made to flush out the other holed-up terrorist who is believed to have infiltrated from across the border.

Senior police officers led by the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) are at the scene of the encounter. Police said the area has been cordoned off, and a house-to-house search is under way with the assistance of the CRPF.

The two overnight incidents come just days after terrorists attacked a bus carrying pilgrims from the Shiv Khori temple to Katra, causing it to veer off the road and fall into a deep gorge, resulting in the death of nine people and injuries to 41 others.

In Doda, terrorists fired on a joint checkpost of the 4 Rashtriya Rifles and police at Chattergalla area late on Tuesday night, leading to a fierce gunfight which continued for several hours, officials said.

They said five Rashtriya Rifles personnel and an SPO were injured and taken to hospital. Additional security personnel have been rushed to the area to intensify the operation against the terrorists, the officials added.

About the operation in Kathua’s Saida Sukhal village, ADGP (Jammu zone) Anand Jain said, “Two terrorists, who appeared to have freshly infiltrated (from across the border), surfaced in the village around 8 pm and asked for water from a household. The people got frightened, and as soon as information was received, a police team rushed to the village.”

“One of the terrorists tried to hurl a grenade at the police team and was killed in the exchange of fire, while the second terrorist is reported to be hiding in the village,” Jain said, adding an assault rifle and a rucksack were recovered from the slain terrorist whose identity and group affiliation were being ascertained.