JAMMU: A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer lost his life when terrorists launched an attack on a patrolling team in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur area on Monday.
The CRPF, in coordination with the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the regional police, came under fire from the terrorists around 3:30 pm in the isolated Chill locality under Dudu Police Station jurisdiction in Basantgarh.
CRPF Officer Kuldip, a member of the G company of the 187th unit, was struck by a bullet and later succumbed to his wounds while being transported to a medical facility. The Udhampur Police shared details of this event on its verified X account.
During area domination patrol at Chill,Dudu,exchange of fire took place between terrorists and joint parties of JKP and CRPF. In the encounter, one Inspector of CRPF suffered bullet injuries & has attained martyrdom.Operation continues.@JmuKmrPolice @ZPHQJammu @UHqrs @Amod_India
— District Police Udhampur (@UdhampurPolice) August 19, 2024
“During a patrol in the Chill area of Dudu, an exchange of gunfire occurred between militants and the combined forces of JKP and CRPF. In the clash, one CRPF Officer sustained bullet injuries and has been martyred. The operation is ongoing,” the post stated.
The terrorists fled the location under heavy retaliation from a joint patrol unit, with additional forces being dispatched to the area and a search mission initiated to locate and eliminate the insurgents, a police official from Jammu told The New Indian.
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There has been a rise in terrorist activities in Jammu, especially in the southern stretches of the Pir Panjal mountain range, which is dense with forests and rugged terrain, providing concealment for terrorists.
On August 14, an army officer, Captain Deepak Singh, was killed in combat following an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district. A civilian was also wounded in the incident. The officer was hit by gunfire in a wooded region during a cordon-and-search mission in the Shivgarh-Assar zone of Delhi.
On August 10, two military personnel and a civilian were killed during a firefight between terrorists and security personnel in Anantnag. The area has seen attacks on a military convoy in Kathua, Doda, Udhampur, and a thwarted attempt by the Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kupwara district’s Machil region.
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Intelligence sources told The New Indian that terrorists may aim to strike highways, which are crucial routes in Jammu and Kashmir. The central government has deployed additional CRPF forces alongside local police to monitor highways and nearby regions.
A senior police officer also told The New Indian that the growing number of military casualties is a major concern, prompting the adjustment of force deployment in the region with new tactics and strategies.
While maintaining a strong focus on securing the Kashmir Valley, the government has also acknowledged the need to enhance security in the Jammu sector. This has led to the deployment of additional forces in critical locations.