Hours before the election rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Doda on Saturday, a junior commissioned officer (JCO) among two soldiers killed in a gunfight with terrorists on Friday evening in the Chhatroo area of the neighbouring Kishtwar district of Jammu.

On the other hand, three Pakistani terrorists have been killed in an overnight encounter between the security forces and terrorists at Chak Tapper Kreeri in North Kashmir’s Baramulla.

The Army has identified the martyred soldiers as Naib Subedar Vipan Kumar and Sepoy Arvind Singh.

The two Army men, who succumbed to their injuries, were among four soldiers injured in the gunfight with terrorists in the forest area in the Kishtwar district.

Two to three terrorists believed to be trapped in the cordon by security forces managed to escape. A massive hunt has been launched in the forest area.

The White Knight Corps of the Indian Army wrote on X; “Based on the intelligence inputs, a joint operation with J&K Police was launched in the Chatroo area at Kishtwar. A contact was established and the scout leading the patrol exchanged a heavy volume of fire with the terrorists at 1530 hrs. In the ensuing firefight four army personnel were injured. The operation is in progress”.

Top brass and all ranks of the Northern Command and the White Knight Corps have paid tributes to the martyred soldiers.

Additional troops have been rushed to the spot, sources said.

The district Police of Kishtwar said “The exchange of fire has taken place between search teams of security forces and hiding terrorists at Pingnal Dugadda forest area, upper reaches of Naidgham village under the jurisdiction of Police Station Chhatroo, District Kishtwar”.

The Army on Wednesday eliminated two Pakistani terrorists in the forest area in the Kathua district.

Meanwhile, security forces have busted a terrorist hideout in the Poonch district.

Police said that on specific information a joint search operation was launched by Police, Army and CRPF in the general area of Chamerd Surankot in the wee hours.

The area was cordoned off and the target area was searched, during the search the security forces were fired upon by the hiding militants. However the fire was retaliated by the security forces.

Taking advantage of the thick forest cover the terrorists managed to slip away. Additional forces have been pushed in and the whole area is cordoned off.

During the search security forces busted a hideout and recovered some arms, ammunition and eatables.