Rajouri encounter ends; another terrorist killed, toll 2

Rich tributes paid to slain soldier, army dog ‘Kent’; Terrorist group was professionally brought under cordon: Army

Rajouri, Sep 13  : The encounter that broke out in Narla Bambal village of J&K’s Rajouri district on Tuesday ended with the killing of a second terrorist taking the number of slain terrorists to two. A soldier was also killed as the army lost its dog ‘Kent’ in the gunfight.

The encounter started in Narla-Bambal village of Rajouri district on Tuesday. As the joint teams of army and police zeroed in on the terrorists, they opened a heavy volume of fire. In the ensuing encounter, one terrorist was killed and three soldiers sustained injuries of which one soldier later succumbed. A trained dog of the army, ‘Kent’ was also killed while saving its handlers during the encounter.

Due to the dark, the operation remained on hold and with the first light of the day, it resumed on Wednesday morning. “Intense firing resumed early morning (Wednesday) and in the ensuing gunfight, one more terrorist was killed taking the number of slain terrorists to two,” a defence official told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), adding that the both the slain terrorists are believed to be foreigners.

A defence official said that the bodies of both terrorists have been retrieved and a huge quantity of arms and ammunition has been recovered from them that includes two AK rifles, bullets, eatables, and other incriminating materials.

Police have taken the possession of bodies of both for slain terrorists for legal formalities

With the killing of both the terrorists, officials said, the operation is over in the area, however, area domination and deployment will remain as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile, the slain soldier identified as Ravi Kumar from Kishtwar was paid rich tributes by his unit. Glorious tributes were paid to army dog ‘Kent’ in a wreath laying ceremonies held at Rajouri army hospital and Methyani army camp respectively.

Sepoy Ravi Kumar was posted in 63 RR and was part of the army team leading the search operation in Narla village on Tuesday.  Another wreath laying ceremony was organised at Methyani army camp in which Commander 14 Sector RR, Brig. Soumeet Patnaik and DIG Rajouri Poonch range Dr. Haseeb Mughal alongwith other senior army and police officers were present. Floral tributes were paid to the army dog ‘Kent’ in this ceremony.

‘Kent’, a six years old female dog, was part of an army operational team carrying out searches in Narla on Tuesday and the dog was sniffing and leading the search teams when terrorists resorted to firing and she got injured and died. Meanwhile, Army and JK Police addressed a joint press conference on Wednesday sharing details of this operation.

Brig. Soumeet Patnaik, Commander 14 Sector Rashtriya Rifles, said that that group of terrorists was being challenged since days and forces ensured to plug their all escape routes and brought them under tight Cordon and eliminated them in a professional manner.

He termed proper synergy between forces as an important factor that resulted success in this operation—(KNO)