Security personnel during an Area Domination Long Route March along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri. (Representative image)
Credit: PTI File Photo
Srinagar: A junior commissioned officer (JCO) of the Army was injured during an encounter with terrorists attempting to infiltrate across the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.
The clash took place in the Kalal area of the Nowshera sector when army troops, stationed to secure the LoC, intercepted a group of terrorists trying to breach the border, officials said. In the firefight, one JCO received a bullet wound and he was immediately evacuated to a nearby hospital.
Sources said the army personnel spotted the terrorists and challenged them, leading to a prolonged gunfight. The terrorists eventually escaped into a nearby forest, prompting a large-scale search operation to locate and neutralize them.
This was the second infiltration attempt in the Nowshera sector within a week. On September 9, two heavily armed terrorists were killed near the LoC in the Laam area of the same sector.
Since 2021, the Jammu region has experienced 33 terror incidents, resulting in the deaths of 53 security personnel and 20 civilians, in addition to 52 terrorists who were killed in various encounters.
The 192-km international border (IB) in Jammu is patrolled by the Border Security Force (BSF), while the 740-km Line of Control (LoC), which serves as the effective border in Kashmir and parts of Jammu, is managed by the Army.
Officials said that despite strict security measures, the challenging terrain and forested areas along the LoC, as well as vulnerable sections of the IB, is being exploited by the terrorists for infiltration attempts.