Army Captain
An Army Captain from the counter-insurgency unit Rashtriya Rifles (RR) was killed, and a civilian injured during an ongoing gunfight with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Wednesday, amid a surge in terror activity, particularly south of the Pir Panjal range. Four terrorists are also believed to have been killed.
The Army, in a post on X, identified the fallen officer as Captain Deepak Singh of the 48 RR, offering condolences to his family. “All ranks of the WhiteKnightCorps salute the supreme sacrifice of Braveheart Capt Deepak Singh, who succumbed to his injuries,” the post read.
Despite being critically wounded by three bullets to the chest, Army Captain Singh continued directing his team until he was evacuated to a hospital, where he later died.
The exchange of fire began around 7:30 am as a cordon and search operation resumed in a forested area. The terrorists, previously engaged in a brief skirmish with security forces in the Akar forest near Patnitop in Udhampur, had fled to Shivgarh Dhar in Doda.
Security forces recovered blood-stained backpacks and US-made M-4 carbines at the scene. A police officer indicated that the terrorists likely left behind some of their gear to flee with an injured member. Doda’s police superintendent, Javed Iqbal, confirmed the operation was ongoing, with drones deployed to locate the suspected three to four remaining terrorists.
The gunbattle site is near Baggar, along the Jammu-Doda national highway, where security forces’ vehicles have lined up.
In recent months, Jammu has witnessed a surge in terror-related incidents. The Union Home Ministry informed Parliament that 28 people, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in 11 terror attacks and 24 counter-terror operations this year.
On Tuesday, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen M V Suchindra Kumar visited Doda and Kishtwar to assess anti-militancy efforts. A large-scale search operation is underway in Doda, Kathua, and Udhampur districts to track down infiltrating terrorists.
Earlier this month, two soldiers and a civilian were killed in a gunfight in Anantnag. Amid rising terror incidents, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting ahead of the 78th Independence Day to discuss the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
