Doda: The security forces killed a militant in an operation on Wednesday in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir; one soldier, an Indian Army captain from the 48 Rashtriya Rifles, was also killed. Now, on the ground leading the operation, the captain was down during intense fighting at Shivgarh Dhar in Assar Doda.

The incident occurred at around 7:30 in the morning in a heavily wooded area at a point when a combined CASO of security forces was on. The operation was intended to apprehend a group of foreign terrorists thought to be operating in the Shivgarh-Assar belt. These terrorists had entered Doda from a forest area of Patnitop in the nearby Udhampur district through a brief firing with security forces.

Initial provocation started at 6:00 PM on Tuesday near Udhampur. It was followed by a brief cessation of the engagement and the creation of a cordon during the night. The search operation continued on Wednesday morning at the same area where the terrorists were believed to have taken position.

In the course of the operations, the security forces captured four blood-stained rucksacks and several M-4 carbines from the scene of the encounter. On the basis of these findings, one could envisage a rather intense interchange of fire and the likelihood of a sizeable number of terrorists in the area.

The security forces are active in the scene to eliminate any other terrorists that may be alive and to establish security in the area. This phase has underlined the tricky security landscape in the state especially in the areas of forested and mountainous terrains of Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army and other security agencies remain very active in curbing the vice as they struggle to ensure that peace returns to the region.

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