Indian Army Captain Killed During Jammu and Kashmir Encounter

An Indian Army captain from the 48 Rashtriya Rifles was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district. The operation continues amid heightened security, as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh convenes a meeting to address rising terror incidents in the region.

An Indian Army captain from the 48 Rashtriya Rifles lost his life during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district on Wednesday, according to official reports. Defence personnel stated, 'The captain was killed in action during the ongoing Operation Assar.'

The officer led a search party during the operation, which began on Tuesday in the Assar area and is still active. The joint search operation, involving the Indian Army and the Jammu and Kashmir police, was launched after the encounter commenced.

White Knight Corps earlier confirmed, 'Searches for the terrorists continue amidst heavy firefighting. One officer was injured while leading the search party, and war-like stores were recovered.' Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a crucial meeting on rising terror-related incidents in the Union Territory, with top officials such as Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi in attendance. The meeting occurred at South Block, a day before Independence Day on August 15.

Security forces across Jammu and Kashmir are on high alert ahead of Independence Day to ensure public safety. Earlier, on August 10, two soldiers and a civilian were killed in a gunfight between terrorists and security forces in Anantnag during a joint operation by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and CRPF. Havildar Dipak Kumar Yadav and Lance Naik Praveen Sharma died in the line of duty. Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi paid tribute to the fallen soldiers.

Jammu has experienced a rise in terror attacks recently, including assaults on an army convoy in Kathua and skirmishes in Doda and Udhampur. In July, the Ministry of Home Affairs reported to the Lok Sabha that 28 people, including civilians and security personnel, had been killed in 11 terror-related incidents up to July 21 this year.

(With inputs from agencies.)