In a tragic turn of events on Sunday, Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Army’s Special Forces, was killed in action while three other soldiers were injured during a gunfight with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district. The soldiers were part of a joint counter-insurgency operation launched to track down a group of terrorists responsible for the recent killing of two village defense guards in the region.
Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar was part of a joint operation involving the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police. The mission, aimed at neutralizing the terrorists in the forests of Kishtwar, was triggered by specific intelligence inputs about the presence of the militants. According to the Indian Army, the terrorists were intercepted in the general area of Bhart Ridge, where an intense firefight ensued.
The Army, in an official statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), expressed deep condolences for the loss of Subedar Rakesh Kumar, a braveheart from the 2 Para (Special Forces). “GOC White Knight Corps and all ranks salute the supreme sacrifice of braveheart Nb Sub Rakesh Kumar,” the post read. “We stand with the bereaved family in this hour of grief,” it added.
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The operation began after security forces discovered the bodies of two village defense guards, Nazir Ahmed and Kuldeep Kumar, who had been abducted and killed by the same group of terrorists a few days earlier. The joint search parties of the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police were actively searching the forests of Kuntwara and Keshwan since Thursday, following the abductions.
In a post on X, the White Knight Corps confirmed that the terrorists responsible for the killings of the village defense guards were also the ones targeted in Sunday’s operation. The post further stated, “Based on specific intelligence input regarding the presence of terrorists, a joint operation was launched by security forces in the general area Bhart Ridge, Kishtwar. This is the same group which had abducted and killed two innocent villagers (village defense guards). Contact was established and firefight ensued.”
The identity of the injured soldiers has not yet been disclosed, but the Army’s focus remains on ensuring the safety of their troops while continuing the search for the terrorists involved in this violent episode.
The attack and the subsequent loss of life have drawn widespread condolences from across the nation, with the Army reaffirming its commitment to eradicating terrorism and ensuring the safety of the local population. Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar’s sacrifice has been hailed as a testament to the bravery and dedication of India’s armed forces.
This gunbattle in Kishtwar marks a continuation of the security challenges faced by Jammu and Kashmir, where counter-insurgency operations have intensified in recent months. The loss of a soldier like Subedar Rakesh Kumar, who dedicated his life to serving the nation, has once again reminded the people of the extraordinary sacrifices made by India’s military personnel in the fight against terrorism.
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