Kidnapped jawan found dead in J&K, sources say he had bullet wounds, knife cuts

Mangalore Today News Network

Jammu and Kashmir, October 9, 2024: An Indian Army soldier was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, senior army officials said.

According to initial reports, two soldiers, belonging to the 161 unit of the Territorial Army, were kidnapped from the forest area in Anantnag during an anti-terror operation that was launched on October 8. But, one of them managed to escape, even after suffering two bullet injuries.

Later, the second soldier was found dead in Anantnag’s Pathribal forest area, with bullet and knife injuries on his body, during a search operation.

The injured soldier was rushed to a medical facility for necessary treatment and his condition remains stable, army officials added. Massive search operations have been launched in the area to trace the missing soldier, army officials said.

The incident happened on the day of the counting of votes in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls.

"Based on intelligence input, a joint counter-terrorist operation was launched by the Indian Army along with Jammu and Kashmir Police and other agencies in Kazwan Forest in Kokernag on October 8. The operation continued overnight as one soldier of the Territorial Army was reported missing," Indian Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Core said in a post on X.

Earlier in August this year, two soldiers were also killed and three others were injured in an encounter between security forces and terrorists in Anantnag.

Prior to this, four Army personnel and a police officer lost their lives in a Doda district encounter with heavily armed terrorists. The attack was claimed by the ’Kashmir Tigers,’ a proxy group of the Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).