J&K: Two Army soldiers slain in Rajouri after coming into contact with terrorists

The confrontation started in the Dharmsal neighbourhood of Bajimaal after a cordon and search.

According to PTI, which cited officials, two Army personnel were slain during a clash between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Wednesday.

Following a cordon-and-search operation, the police said, an encounter between the terrorists and joint forces of the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police occurred in the Bajimaal area of Dharmsal.

#WATCH | An encounter is underway between terrorists and joint forces of Army & J-K Police in the Bajimaal area of Dharmsal in Rajouri district

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

— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2023

According to officials, one officer and one soldier were killed in the gunfight. They also said that one officer had been hurt and had been taken to a hospital, as reported by PTI.

Five Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were slain by security forces last Friday in the Kulgam district of south Kashmir during one of the bloodiest gunfights of the year in the Union Territory.

Officials claim that several of them participated in earlier this year's attacks on Pandits and migrant labourers.

According to the officials mentioned above, the five men who were killed are all locals: Sameer Ahmad Sheikh, Danish Hameed Thokar, Ubaid Padder and Hanzla Shah from Shopian, and Yasir Bhat from Kulgam.

The Kulgam operation takes place a few weeks after the October 26 killing of five LeT members in Kupwara along the Line of Control (LoC). Terrorists were fought for more than a week in September by security forces in the Garol forests of Anantnag. Two officers, a soldier and a deputy superintendent of police, lost their lives in the operation. On September 19, the confrontation came to an end when Uzair Khan, the commander of the LeT, and two other terrorists were shot dead.

Over forty terrorists have been killed in the Valley so far this year, according to police.

As per the law, Agniveer Amritpal Singh committed suicide and received no military honours: Army

In a statement released on Sunday, the Indian Army said that Agniveer Amritpal Singh killed himself while doing sentry duty and that his funeral did not get military honours since self-inflicted wounds are not accorded such respect.

According to the Army, it does not make a distinction between soldiers who joined the army before or after the Agnipath system was put into place.

There have been claims that because Singh was an Agniveer soldier, military honours were not accorded to his funeral.

On Saturday, the Nagrota-based White Knight Corps of the Army said that Singh had self-inflicted gunshot wounds when he passed away while performing sentry duty in the Rajouri sector.

The Army claimed in a statement on Sunday night that certain facts surrounding the untimely death of Singh had been "misunderstood and misrepresented."

According to the Indian Army, Agniveer Amritpal Singh's suicide by shooting himself while on sentry duty was a "sad loss to the family and the Indian Army."

According to the statement, "in accordance with the established protocol, the deceased remains were conveyed under Army arrangements along with an escort group to his native town for the last rites" following the completion of medico-legal proceedings.

According to the Army, in terms of eligibility for benefits and protocols, the Armed Forces do not distinguish between soldiers who enlisted before or after the adoption of the Agnipath system.

According to the statement, "the Military Forces accord due respect to unfortunate incidents of mortality stemming from suicide/self-inflicted injuries, irrespective of the kind of entry, coupled with deep and enduring empathy with the family."

"According to the current Army Order of 1967, which is in style, such cases are not entitled to military funerals. Since then, the relevant policy has been routinely upheld without exception, "It read.

The Army reported that since 2001, there have been an average of 100 to 140 troops lost each year as a result of suicides or other self-inflicted injuries. In these cases, no military burial was held.

According to the statement, financial help and relief payments made in accordance with entitlements—including emergency financial support for holding funerals—are given top priority.

"Such tragic instances of loss weigh heavily on the family and the Forces as a whole." "During such times, it is important and incumbent on society to uphold the family's respect, privacy, and dignity while empathizing with them in their time of grief," the Army said.

"Armed Forces are known for adhering to policies and protocols and will continue to do so." "The Indian Army requests the assistance of all segments of society while adhering to its established protocols," it stated.