A Junior Commissioned Officer of the Indian Army’s Para Special Forces was killed and three soldiers were injured, two of them critically, on Sunday in a gunfight with terrorists involved in the killing of two Village Defence Guards (VDGs) in the forest of Kishtwar in the Jammu division.

In a post on X, the Nagrota-based White Knight Corps of the Indian Army announced the death of Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar of 2 Para (SF), who was earlier critically injured in the encounter.

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“Naib Subedar Rakesh was part of a joint counter-terrorist operation launched in the general area of Bhart Ridge, Kishtwar. We stand with the bereaved family in this hour of grief,” the White Knight Corps said.

The injured soldiers have been evacuated to a military hospital.

The gunfight broke out in the Keshwan forest as the terrorists holed up in the area indiscriminately fired at the troops who had launched a search operation following the brutal killing of the two VDGs, Kuldeep Kumar and Nazir Ahmad.

The encounter broke out around 11 am when joint search parties of the Army, CRPF, and J&K Police intercepted the terrorists in the Keshwan forest, a few kilometres from the spot where the mutilated and bullet-riddled bodies of the VDGs were found.

The Nagrota-based White Knight Corps of the Indian Army said in a post on X, “Based on specific intelligence input regarding the presence of terrorists, a joint operation was launched by security forces in general area Bhart Ridge, Kishtwar. This is the same group which had abducted and killed 2 innocent villagers (village defence guards). Contact was established and a firefight ensued.”

The Army had launched a massive search operation after the two VDGs were abducted and killed by terrorists on Thursday.

Special Forces of the Army were also conducting the anti-terrorist operation, reports said.

Additional DGP (Jammu) Anand Jain confirmed that an encounter has broken out at Keshwan in Kishtwar between terrorists and Security forces. Three to four terrorists from the same group that killed the two innocent villagers are believed to be trapped, he added.

However, sources said that after a brief exchange of fire, the terrorists managed to flee into the deep forest, and the security forces are currently combing the area.

The GOC of the White Knight Corps, Lt General Navin Sachdeva, along with commanders visited Kishtwar and the general area of Bhart Ridge to review the ongoing operations.

The Army Chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, on Saturday visited the forward units of the Rising Star Corps deployed in Kathua and was briefed on the current security situation.

He interacted with troops and commended them for their high standards of professionalism and devotion to duty.

Another exchange of fire between Pakistani terrorists and security forces was underway in the Srinagar district, police said.

According to Kashmir Zone Police, a joint operation was launched by the police and security forces in the Zabarwan forest area on the upper side of the Dal Lake in Srinagar on Sunday morning.

The Srinagar-based Chinar Corps of the Indian Army wrote on X; “On 10 November, a joint operation was launched by security forces in the general area of Zabarwan Forest, Ishbar Nishat, Srinagar. Suspicious activity was observed by vigilant troops and on being challenged terrorists opened indiscriminate fire. Troops effectively retaliated. Operation is in progress.”

Meanwhile, search operations continued for the second day in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Sunday, officials said.

According to officials, one Pakistani terrorist was killed in the joint anti-terror operation on Saturday evening in the Rajpura Sopore area of Baramulla. The operation was launched by the police and security forces based on specific intelligence, they said.