Officials reported that security has been stepped up in the Jammu and Kashmir district of Rajouri amid an encounter between security forces and terrorists that started on Tuesday. According to a senior police official, one soldier and one terrorist were killed in the encounter that occurred in the Narla area. In the exchange of gunfire, three security personnel, including a Special Police Officer, also received injuries.
“One terrorist neutralised; One Army jawan lost his life, three others including one police SPO injured in the ensuing encounter in Rajouri district,” Mukesh Singh, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jammu said on Tuesday.
A six-year-old dog (female labrador) laid down her life shielding her handler during the encounter.
Kent, a dog from the 21 Army Dog Unit, was leading a group of soldiers on the trail of fleeing terrorists when it came under heavy fire and passed away at the scene, the Indian Army’s Public Relations Officer in Jammu said in a statement on Tuesday. According to the statement, Kent was at the forefront of “Operation Sujaligala.” During a joint operation last week between the Jammu and Kashmir police and Indian Army in the Reasi district, a terrorist was killed in an encounter.
Officials had said that war-like stores including one AK series assault rifle with magazines were recovered during the search following the encounter.
The officials said that Indian Army demolished an Improvised explosive device (IED) in the same region on September 3.
Barely two weeks ago, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said it arrested two persons for harbouring the terrorists who had killed five innocent civilians in Dhangri village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district in January this year.
Five people were killed and several others suffered serious injuries in a terrorist attack on January 1st of this year. Under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967, and the Arms Act, the case was initially reported to Rajouri Police Station. On January 13, the NIA had taken control of the case and reregistered it.