NB Explains | Two Army captains among 4 soldiers martyred in J&K's Rajouri encounter; What we know so far-

Rajouri, Nov 23: Four Army personnel including two captains, a havildar, and a jawan were martyred and two others were injured during an encounter between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Wednesday.

 

 

The martyrs have been identified as Captain MV Pranjal of 63 Rashtriya Rifles, and Captain Shubham Gupta and Havildar Majid of 9 PARA. The identity of the fourth soldier is yet to be established. Soldiers from 9 PARA had moved into the forests to evacuate Captain Pranjal, but they came under heavy fire from militants, believed to be five or six in number.

 

Fierce gunfight continued in the area till late night with more troops deployed to neutralise two terrorists trapped there, said officials adding that the terrorists have sustained injuries.

 

 

The encounter broke out between terrorists and joint forces of the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the Bajimaal area of Dharmsal following a cordon-and-search operation.

 

In a post on X, the White Knight Corps of the Army said that based on specific intelligence, joint operations were launched in the Kalakote area of Gulabgarh forest in Rajouri on Sunday. "The terrorists have been injured and surrounded and operations are in progress, " it said.

 

"Contact was established on November 22 and an intense firefight ensued. The terrorists have been injured and surrounded and operations are in progress, amidst acts of valour and sacrifice by our own bravehearts in trying to prevent collateral damage to women and children in the highest traditions of the Indian Army," it added.

 

 

An Army major and another soldier were injured in the shootout but their condition is reportedly stable.

 

Officials said that the bodies of Captain Gupta and Havildar Majid, a resident of J&K’s Poonch, have been recovered. However, due to continuous firing by the heavily-armed militants, the bodies of Captain Pranjal and the unidentified soldier have not been retrieved so far.

 

The Peoples Anti-Fascist Force (PAFF) which the officials believe is an offshoot of the banned, Pakistan-based terror outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammad, has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to open source intelligence posts on social media.

 

The latest encounter in Rajouri comes close on the heels of another gunfight in Behrote in Budhal area on November 17, in which one terrorist was killed.