Doda: Four Indian Army soldiers, including an officer, were killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Monday. A joint operation by the Indian Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police was launched in the Desa area of Doda based on specific intelligence about the presence of terrorists. At least five soldiers were critically injured in the encounter. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has spoken to the Indian Army chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, to assess the ground situation and ongoing operation in Doda.
This was the second major encounter in the Jammu region in one week, following the death of five soldiers in Kathua last week. The attack, which involved a coordinated strike on two trucks carrying at least 12 troops, involved grenades and armor-piercing bullets and an M4 assault rifle. Over the last 32 months, 48 soldiers have been killed in action in the Jammu region.
Terrorist attacks have spread across Jammu, a region that was free from terrorism until a few years ago. There are reports that over 60 foreign terrorists, trained in jungle warfare, may be operating in the Jammu region alone, as fear has spread across all 10 districts of the province.
