Swar Pangala Karthik, a soldier of 22 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) Battalion, was martyred in an encounter between the Army and terrorists during the anti-terrorist operation that began on Sunday in Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir. The army confirmed this on Monday.
events of the encounter
Security forces had received information about the presence of terrorists in Jalora Gujjarpati area of Sopore. Based on this intelligence, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Army launched a joint cordon and search operation (CASO).
- Firing begins: Terrorists fired indiscriminately with automatic weapons at the security forces on Sunday evening.
- Martyr soldier: Swar Pangala Karthik was seriously injured during the grenade explosion. He was taken for treatment, but he died.
Response of army and administration
- Chinar Corps Tribute Message: Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps said, “All ranks of Chinar Corps salute the supreme sacrifice of the braveheart Swar Pangala Kartik. We salute his bravery and sacrifice and stand with the bereaved family.”
- Security tightened: Security has been beefed up across Kashmir ahead of Republic Day.
Search operation continues
Security forces cordoned off the area throughout Sunday night and intensified the search operation on Monday morning. Officials said that there has been no direct face-to-face with the terrorists so far, but the search operation is going on on a large scale.
security review
Kashmir Inspector General of Police V.K. Birdi had recently directed officials to maintain high vigilance in a security review meeting. This campaign is a step taken in this direction.
last year’s figures
It is noteworthy that in 2024, nine army personnel were martyred while on duty in Kashmir. This is said to be the first encounter of this year.
