Terrorists attack VDC member’s residence in J&K’s Gunda; counter operation under way

RAJOURI: (Jammu and Kashmir): Terrorists attacked the house of a Village Defence Committee (VDC) member at Gunda village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri in the early hours of Monday during an ongoing firefight with security personnel, the White Knight Corps said.

Following the attack, an Army column near the area reacted, kicking off a firefight, they added. “Op Gunda. Terrorists attacked the house of a VDC at Gunda, Rajouri at 0310h. A nearby Army column reacted and a firefight ensued. Operations are continuing”, the White Knight Corps stated in a post on ‘X’. Operations are under way in the Gunda area of the district.

#WATCH | J&K: Terrorists attacked the house of a Village Defense Committee (VDC) at Gunda, Rajouri. Security heightened in the Gunda area of Rajouri.

(Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/X5oy6reuQG

— ANI (@ANI) July 22, 2024

In the last few months, there has been a spike in terror attacks in the Jammu region, including the terror attack at the army convoy in Kathua and encounters in Doda and Udhampur. Last Thursday, the Indian Army troops opened fire after suspicious movement near the Line of Control in the Sunderbani area of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a separate incident, two Indian Army soldiers were injured in an encounter with terrorists in the Kastigarh area of Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir last Thursday.

The encounter came days after four army soldiers, including an officer, laid down their lives while battling terrorists in the Doda encounter on Tuesday.

On July 15, based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint operation by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police was in progress in an area North of Doda. According to the White Knight Corps, contact with terrorists was established around 9 pm that night during which a heavy firefight ensued. Four soldiers, including an officer, were killed in action. The soldiers killed in action were identified as Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra, and Sepoy Ajay.

On July 16, Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar, Northern Army Commander, laid a wreath to pay homage to the bravehearts Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra and Sepoy Ajay Kumar Singh, who laid down their lives in the line of duty to ensure peace in the region, while undertaking a counter-terrorist operation in Doda. (ANI)