Paramilitary officer killed in terror attack during patrol in J&K, encounter in

Inspector Kuldeep Kumar, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer, was killed in action after terrorists fired on a patrol party in Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir. Inspector Kumar was a member of the 187th Battalion of the CRPF.

An anti-terrorist operation has been launched in the area. A joint team of CRPF and Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police was attacked by terrorists in Dadu area of ​​Udhampur.

January 19, 2024 87 min #CRPF आतंकवाद ियों से लोहा लेते हुए कर्तव्य की बलिवेदी पर अपने प्राणों की आहुति दी। #free अपने शूरवीर के अदम्य साहस, शौर्य एवं मातृभूमि के प्रति समर्पण को नमन करती है।

Yeah… image.twitter.com/jnADjg6W0t

— CRPF (@crpfindia) August 19, 2024

Today's attack took place in the Jammu region, which for several years remained relatively quiet compared to Kashmir. There has been an increase in terrorist activities in Jammu, particularly in the southern areas of the Pir Panjal range, which contains dense forests and rugged mountains that provide cover for terrorists.

Terrorist attacks on the rise in Jammu

On August 14, an army officer, Captain Deepak Singh, was killed in action following an encounter in Doda in Jammu and Kashmir. A civilian was also injured in the incident. The officer sustained bullet injuries in a forested area during a cordon and search operation in the Shivgarh-Assar belt of Delhi.

Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a high-level meeting on the rise in terror attacks in the Union Territory following clashes and ambushes. The meeting was held in South Block, Delhi, in the presence of Special National Security Officer Ajit Doval and Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi.

The latest intelligence reports suggested that terrorists might target highways, the lifeline of Jammu and Kashmir. The Centre has decided to deploy more CRPF troops along with local police to patrol the highways and adjoining areas.

On August 10, two soldiers and a civilian were killed during a gunfight between terrorists and security forces in Anantnag. The region has witnessed attacks on an army convoy in Kathua, skirmishes in Doda and Udhampur and a failed attack by Pakistan’s Border Action Team (BAT) along the Line of Control (LoC) in Machchal sector of Kupwara district.

According to the Interior Ministry, 28 people, including civilians and security personnel, were killed in 11 terror-related incidents and 24 counter-terror operations till July 21 this year.

Plan of action

A senior official told Agency that rising military casualties are a major concern, which has led to rationalisation of force deployment in the area with new combinations and strategies. The government, while keeping its focus on security in the Kashmir Valley, has also recognised the need to beef up security in the Jammu region. This has resulted in mobilisation of additional forces for deployment in key areas.

One of the main objectives of the government's new security strategy is to block infiltration routes used by terrorists to enter Jammu and Kashmir.

Security audits by various agencies have identified around two dozen sectors along the Line of Control (LOC) in the valley and the international border in the Jammu sector. Terrorists often seek help from local guides to cross.

The terrorists are equipped with sophisticated weapons, such as the US-made M4 assault vehicle with thermal infrared sights, and are trained for jungle warfare. The terrorists infiltrate on foot and the government has started a project to fence the borders, but progress has been slow: only 70 kilometres of the 180 kilometres have been covered.

Elections in Jammu and Kashmir

For the first time since 2014, Assembly elections will be held in the Union Territory. Voting will be held in three phases — on September 18, September 25 and October 1 — and the results will be announced on October 4. This marks a major step forward in the electoral body’s efforts to comply with a Supreme Court order — that democracy should return to Jammu and the Kashmir Valley by September 30.