Soldier killed in accidental fire in J&K's Kishtwar

Jammu, April 6 (IANS) A soldier was killed on Sunday in an accidental fire in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district.

Officials said the soldier, identified as 27-year-old Vijay Kumar of Rajasthan, was found dead on duty this morning.

“He was immediately shifted to the hospital where doctors said he was dead on arrival. Police have registered a case in this incident to ascertain the actual cause of death. Preliminary investigation indicates the soldier died of accidental fire from his own service rifle,” the officials said.

It must be recalled that the Army and the security forces are maintaining high vigil in the districts of Jammu division, including Kishtwar, Doda, Rajouri, Poonch, Kathua, Udhampur and Ramban after movements of terrorists were reported from these areas.

On March 23, five terrorists were seen in the Sanyal village of the Kathua district. The police team immediately engaged the terrorists in an encounter in which two terrorists were killed and four local policemen were martyred.

Joint forces later engaged the remaining three terrorists in Safiyan Jakhole village in an encounter. Joint forces later extended the area of the ‘seek & destroy’ operation to higher reaches of the Kathua and Rajouri districts.

A brief exchange of gunfire took place on Friday between the security forces and the terrorists in the Billawar area of the Kathua district.

The upper reaches of the Kathua district border with Kishtwar, and other parts of the Jammu division have witnessed increased security activity following the targeted attacks by Pakistan-backed terrorists.

To ensure that the terrorists are not able to carry out hit-and-run attacks, Para commandos of the Army and the CRPF troopers have been deployed in the higher reaches of these districts and deep inside the forested areas.

The presence of foreign mercenaries in the border districts of Poonch, Rajouri and Kathua districts have prompted the joint forces to revise their strategy.

The revised strategy includes targeting terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers, who, according to Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, form part of the Pakistan-backed terror ecosystem.

--IANS

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