Two Army personnel killed in clashes with terrorists in J&K ahead of PM Modi's Doda rally

Two Army personnel lost their lives and two others suffered injuries during an encounter with terrorists in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials confirmed on Friday.

The fight took place when a joint operation by the Army and police commenced in the Naidgham area of the Chhatroo belt following credible intelligence reports. Officials reported that a gunfight erupted between the security forces and militants hidden in the Pingnal Dugadda forest, situated in the higher reaches of Naidgham village.

During the firefight, four Army personnel sustained injuries. Two of them—Junior Commissioned Officer Naib Subedar Vipan Kumar and Sepoy Arvind Singh—later succumbed to their wounds. The injured soldiers were promptly evacuated by air to a military hospital after receiving initial treatment at a local medical facility.

The area has since been secured by the Indian Army, and operations to flush out remaining militants are ongoing. 

The encounter took place just hours before a separate clash was reported in the Chak Tapper Kreeri Pattan area of Baramulla district, where security forces engaged another group of terrorists. 

This surge in violence comes in the wake of upcoming Assembly elections—the first to be held in the region in a decade—heightening concerns over security. Earlier this week, two terrorists were also neutralized in an encounter near the Kathua-Udhampur border, illustrating an alarming trend of militant activity.

Additionally, tension continues as a Border Security Force (BSF) personnel was injured earlier due to unprovoked firing from Pakistan Rangers along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu's Akhnoor sector.