Around 11 PM on Monday, in the jungles of the Desa area of Doda, an encounter between the army and terrorists resulted in the sacrifice of an officer and four soldiers. This was the fourth encounter in the Doda region in the past 35 days. On Monday, suspicious activities were also observed in the Jammu and Kathua districts. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti also reacted to the incident. She said that despite the loss of five soldiers, no one is being held accountable. She remarked, “By now, heads should have rolled. The DGP should have been dismissed.” Mehbooba Mufti accused the current DGP of being busy with political maneuvers and harassing people and journalists.

The soldiers who were martyred in the encounter have been identified as Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, and soldiers Bijendra and Ajay. The Indian Army expressed condolences to the families of their fallen comrades and stated that the army stands with the bereaved families in this time of grief. This incident is part of the increasing trend of terrorist attacks targeting the Jammu division, following the Kashmir Valley. In the past 32 months, around 50 soldiers have lost their lives, yet no concrete steps have been taken. Meanwhile, security forces continue their campaign against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, but the political climate remains heated.