Srinagar, India

One CRPF officer has been killed in an encounter in the remote Dudu area of Basantgarh in Udhampur district of Jammu region. Security forces had input about the presence of three to four terrorists in the area, after which they were carrying out a joint cordon and search operation. The terrorists fired on the forces when they were in close vicinity, which resulted in injury to one CRPF officer, who was taken to hospital, where he succumbed to injuries.

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The officer has been identified as Kuldeep Singh of the 187th Battalion of Central Reserve Police Force. He was directly hit by a bullet and was declared dead by the doctors after reaching the hospital. According to sources, the terrorists managed to escape from the spot, but security forces have now cordoned off the entire area.

Security forces believe that three to four terrorists are hiding in the area and more deployment has been brought in to nab the attackers in the area.

Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a steep rise in terror attacks in the last few months. With the Jammu and Kashmir Police confirming that around 70-80 foreign terrorists are active in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, most of them are believed to be in the higher reaches of the North Kashmir and Jammu region. The dense forest range and the steep mountains have become a safe haven for infiltrated terrorists.

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Meanwhile, the security forces are coming up with new strategies and training to make sure that there are no successful infiltrations at the LoC and International Border.

According to recent data, over 125 terror incidents happened in the last three years in the Union Territory, and out of them, 53 per cent were witnessed in the hills of Jammu. Over 57 security personnel have lost their lives in the Union territory since June 2021. The terrorists are continuously targeting security forces in Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua, Reasi, Doda, and Udhampur districts.