An Army soldier, who was injured during the ongoing encounter with terrorists in Singpura area area Kishtwar district, succumbed to his injuries on Monday even as sniffer dogs, drones and helicopters have been roped in to flush out the hiding terrorists, officials said.
Army’s White Knight Corps, in a post on X, said that the General Officer Commanding and all ranks pay tribute to Havaldar Gajendra Singh of the Special Forces, who made the supreme sacrifice while gallantly executing a counter terrorism operation in the Singpura area.
“We honour his indomitable courage, valour and selfless devotion to duty and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this hour of profound grief,” it said.
Earlier on Sunday, a fierce gunfight broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Singpura area following inputs about the presence of Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists.
ALSO READ: Widespread snow in J&K on Jan 22–23: Kashmir Weather
Officials said that during the encounter, terrorists lobbed a grenade and resorted to heavy firing towards the security forces, leaving eight soldiers injured. “Of the eight injured soldiers, three were airlifted to an Army hospital for specialised treatment. Havaldar Gajendra Singh succumbed to his injuries during the treatment,” they said.
Meanwhile, security forces also busted a terrorist hideout in the Chatroo forest area. “A significant quantity of food and daily-use supplies was recovered, indicating the terrorists’ prolonged presence in the region,” officials said.
A high-alert has also been sounded in the Kishtwar and adjoining areas following the fierce encounter, with cordon and search operation extended to nearby areas.
They said that the security forces have also deployed drones, sniffer dogs and helicopters to track and flush out the hiding terrorists in the forested area. “Senior officials of the Army, Police and CRPF are also present at the site to monitor the ongoing operation, while security forces have been maintaining a strict surveillance in the area to ensure terrorists don’t escape or regroup,” they said. (KNO)
