Special Forces Jawan Killed, Three Other Injured in JK’s Kishtwar Gunbattle

 Srinagar, Nov 10(KNS): An Army Special Forces soldier was killed, and three others were injured during an encounter with terrorists in a remote forest area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials said.

The Army’s White Knight Corps confirmed that Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar of 2 Para (Special Forces) lost his life, while three other commandos sustained injuries during the gunfight, which began on Sunday, November 10.

“GOC White Knight Corps and all ranks salute the supreme sacrifice of Nb Sub Rakesh Kumar of 2 Para (SF),” the Corps stated. “Naib Subedar Kumar was part of a joint counter-insurgency operation in the Bhart Ridge area of Kishtwar. We stand in solidarity with his family during this hour of grief.”

The encounter erupted when a joint search team from the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police intercepted terrorists in the Keshwan forest, close to where the bodies of two Village Defence Guards, Nazir Ahmad and Kuldeep Kumar, were recently discovered.

This marks the third such encounter in the region within 24 hours. Earlier, security forces engaged in an exchange of fire with terrorists during an anti-terror operation in Srinagar’s Zabarwan forest.

“A joint operation involving police and security forces was launched based on intelligence about terrorist presence, resulting in a firefight,” said Kashmir Zone Police.

The previous day, another encounter took place in Baramulla district, where security forces killed a terrorist following a joint operation in Rajpura after detecting suspicious activity.

According to the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps, “One terrorist has been neutralized by security forces in Rajpura, Sopore, Baramulla.”