In a concerning escalation of violence, a policeman was injured in a fresh gunfight between security forces and terrorists in the Kota Top area of Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, on Wednesday evening. This was the fourth incident in the region over the last three days.
According to officials, the encounter began around 7:30 pm when a joint team of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Indian Army’s 4 Rashtriya Rifles launched a cordon and search operation in the Kota Top area of the Bhallessa sub-division. As the security forces closed in on the suspected location, the terrorists opened fire, leading to a fierce gunbattle.
“Head constable Fareed Ahmed was injured after contact was established with the terrorists in the Kota Top area,” said Doda Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Javed Iqbal. The injured policeman has been evacuated from the encounter site and admitted to a hospital for treatment.
The SSP added that additional reinforcements have been rushed to the area to assist in the ongoing operation.
Notably, the terrorists involved in the Kota Top gunfight are believed to be different from the ones who had attacked security personnel at the Chattargala area on the Bhaderwah-Pathankot road around 1:45 am on the same day. A resident pointed out that it would take around 10 hours to cover the distance between Chattargala and Kota Top on foot.
The Kota Top area, which falls under the Khrangal Panchayat of Bhallessa, is a popular meadow in the region. The encounter is still underway, and further details are awaited.
The latest incident comes amid a spike in terrorist activities in the Doda district, which has seen multiple encounters between security forces and militants in recent days. The authorities have assured that all necessary measures are being taken to maintain law and order and ensure the local population’s safety.
