Kupwara clash: One Army soldier dies from injuries in Machil encounter, terrorist neutralised (WATCH)
According to Defence officials, all injured personnel were swiftly evacuated from the site. However, despite medical efforts, one of the soldiers succumbed to his injuries. The identity of the martyred soldier and additional details about the encounter are yet to be released.
An intense encounter erupted in the forest areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Machil sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district on Saturday morning (July 27). During the clash, one terrorist was killed, and five Indian Army soldiers sustained injuries. Of the injured, two are reported to be in critical condition, and one soldier has succumbed to his injuries.
The exchange of fire took place near the Kumkadi post in the Trehgam sector, according to officials. The incident involved an attempted attack by a Pakistani Border Action Team (BAT), suspected to include regular Pakistani Army troops and SSG commandos who often collaborate with terrorist organizations.
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This encounter follows a recent similar incident in Kupwara, where Jawan Naik (Gnr) Dilwar Khan was killed in an overnight gunfight on July 24. The Indian Army had initiated an anti-terrorist operation in the Lolab area of Kupwara after detecting possible terrorist movements.
On Tuesday, when suspicious activities were observed, troops confronted the suspects, leading to a gunbattle that resulted in one terrorist being eliminated and a non-commissioned officer (NCO) being injured. The injured soldier later died from his wounds.
The Jammu region, which had been relatively stable from 2005 to 2021, has recently seen a resurgence in terror attacks. This surge includes a deadly attack on a pilgrim bus that killed nine people and injured 40.
Since October 2021, terrorist activities have escalated from the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, spreading to Reasi, Kathua, and Doda. Security forces attribute these incidents to efforts by Pakistani handlers to reintroduce terrorism into the Jammu region. Since 2021, over 70 people, including more than 50 security personnel, have been killed in terror-related incidents in Jammu.