Soldier killed in gunfight with terrorists in J&K's Udhampur

The soldier was injured late Friday when terrorists fired on an Army and SOG search team at Seoj Dhar forest in Udhampur's Dudu-Basantgarh area, officials said.

Security personnel keep vigil after a joint encounter of the Army and police forces with terrorists, in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, Saturday, Photo | PTI

SRINAGAR: A soldier was killed in a gunfight with terrorists in J&K’s Udhampur district on Friday.

According to an official, a joint contingent of the Army, police and paramilitary forces had launched a search operation in the Seoj Dhar area of Dudu-Basantgarh in Udhampur district Friday evening after receiving inputs about the presence of terrorists there.

While the operation was going on, terrorists hiding in the forest area opened fire at the security personnel. The troops were quick to return the fire. It was during this exchange of gunfire that the Army jawan, identified as Lance Dafadar Baldev Chand, sustained bullet injuries. He was evacuated to a military hospital, where he succumbed to the injuries.

Meanwhile, the terrorists managed to slip away from the area and moved to the dense forest area. More troops were rushed to the area to tighten the siege, with the elite para commandos joining the operation in the forest area, which lies on the border of Doda and Udhampur districts.

Suspecting the presence of around three Pakistani terrorists in the area, security forces on Saturday pressed into service drones and UAVs to locate them.