Tributes were paid on Saturday to the two soldiers who lost their lives in a gunfight with terrorists in the Kishtwar district on Friday evening.

In a solemn wreath-laying ceremony, GOC of the White Knight Corps Lt General Navin Sachdeva laid a wreath to pay homage to the Bravehearts Naib Subedar Vipan Kumar and Rifleman Arvind Singh who made the supreme sacrifice in the highest traditions of the Indian Army.

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“Their sacrifice will never be forgotten”, the Corps said on X.

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

Two other soldiers were injured during the encounter.

On the other hand, 3 Pakistani terrorists were killed in an overnight encounter between the security forces and terrorists at Chak Tapper Kreeri in North Kashmir’s Baramulla. Three AK series assault rifles were also recovered from the spot.

Four soldiers were injured in a gunfight with terrorists in the forest area of Kishtwar district, two of whom later succumbed to their injuries.

Two to three terrorists believed to have been 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 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, “An exchange of fire occurred between the search teams of security forces and the hiding terrorists at the Pingnal Dugadda forest area in the upper reaches of Naidgham village under the jurisdiction of Chhstroo Police Station in Kishtwar district.”

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

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

Police said that on specific information, a joint search operation was launched by the police, Army, and the CRPF in the general area of Charmed 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.