In a fierce encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, Captain Deepak Singh of the 48 Rashtriya Rifles was killed while leading an operation against terrorists on Wednesday. Four terrorists are believed to have been gunned down, but the operation remains ongoing.
The encounter, which began on Tuesday evening in Udhampur, paused overnight as security forces established a cordon around the area. Early Wednesday morning, the search resumed in the dense forests of Shivgarh-Assar, where a gunfight broke out around 7:30 a.m.
The terrorists, reportedly holed up in a riverine area, had crossed into Doda from a forest near Patnitop in Udhampur. Security forces recovered four blood-soaked rucksacks and M-4 carbines from the encounter site, indicating the intensity of the clash.
The White Knight Corps paid tribute to Captain Deepak Singh, honoring his supreme sacrifice and expressing solidarity with his grieving family.
The incident comes on the heels of another deadly encounter on August 10, in which two soldiers and a civilian were killed in Anantnag district. As tensions rise, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a high-level meeting on Wednesday to address the increasing terror-related incidents in the region ahead of the 78th Independence Day.
Officials, including Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, participated in the meeting. Security forces across Jammu and Kashmir have been placed on high alert to ensure safety during the Independence Day celebrations.