Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir): A brief exchange of gunfire took place between security forces and terrorists in the upper reaches of the Bhata Dessa area of Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir where four Army soldiers were killed on Monday.
Defence sources said that the exchange of fire took place twice on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday and lasted for five minutes, but no loss of life or property was reported. The hidden terrorists fired on the search party of army and police at Khalaan Bhatta forests at 10.45 pm and Panchaan bhata at 2 am during ongoing operation in Desa forests, sources said.
A massive search operation is underway on the third day on Wednesday in the area to flush out the terrorists with a heavy deployment of security forces personnel. The Army has also pressed drones into service as part of aerial surveillance.
The search operation is being carried out by joint teams of Indian Army commands, SOG of Police, and paramilitary forces in Desa forest area of Doda of Jammu Kashmir to neutralize the armed militants during the search operation.
Four Indian Army soldiers were killed during a gunfight between militants and security forces in Desa forest area of Doda district on Monday evening. The attack is the latest in a wave of terror attacks that have roiled the region this year and sparked concerns that it is emerging as the new epicentre of violence in the restive union territory.
The four soldiers killed in the gunbattle were identified as Captain Brijesh Thapa from Darjeeling in West Bengal, Naik D Rajesh from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, Sepoy Bijendra and Sepoy Ajay, both from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, all of whom belong to the counter-insurgency unit of 10 Rashtriya Rifles. This is the third major encounter involving security forces and terrorists in the forests of Doda in the past three weeks.
