Soldier injured as Army foils
infiltration attempt in Rajouri
Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI/POONCH, Sept 14: An Army personnel was injured in an encounter with terrorists attempting to infiltrate across the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district while brief exchange of firing took place between terrorists and security forces at Pathanateer in Mendhar area of Poonch tonight but there were no casualties.
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The first encounter occurred in Kalal area of Nowshera sector when Army troops guarding the LoC intercepted a group of terrorists trying to infiltrate into this side, the officials said.
This was the second infiltration attempt by terrorists in Nowshera in the past week. Earlier on September 9, two heavily armed terrorists were killed near the LoC in the Laam area of this sector.
Army troops noticed some terrorists and challenged them, leading to a gunfight which continued for some time, the officials said, adding the terrorists fled into the nearby forest and a massive search operation is on to track down and neutralize them.
Meanwhile, terrorists opened firing on a joint team of security forces at Pathanateer in Mendhar area of Poonch sector tonight.
Security personnel retaliated resulting into brief exchange of firing.
Reinforcement of security forces has been rushed to spot and a hunt has been launched to nab the terrorists.
Meanwhile, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Army, who was martyred in an encounter with terrorists, was cremated with full military honours at his village in Rajouri district today.
Naib Subedar Vipan Kumar (42), along with Sepoy Arvind Singh from Himachal Pradesh, were martyred while two other soldiers were injured, when terrorists opened fire on a joint search party of the Army and police in a forest area in the upper reaches of Chhatroo in Kishtwar district last evening.
A pall of gloom descended on Kumar’s native Patra village of Sunderbani in Rajouri when his mortal remains, wrapped in the tricolour, were brought in a decorated military vehicle for the last rites this afternoon.
Kumar is survived by his wife and two children — a boy studying in Class 7 and a girl studying in Class 3.
Emotional scenes were witnessed at Kumar’s house as the relatives, including his 100-year-old grandmother, burst into tears on seeing the body.
Thousands of people joined the funeral procession, raising slogans praising Kumar, the Indian Army and the country, while denouncing Pakistan for providing support to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
“We are proud of our martyr who made the supreme sacrifice for the country. However, his departure has left a deep wound that will not heal easily,” the JCO’s uncle, Ashok Kumar, said, as he consoled his brother and the minor son of the deceased soldier.
The cremation took place with full military honours, including a wreath-laying ceremony and a gun salute.
Earlier in the day, the Army organised a wreath-laying ceremony at the Indian Air Force (IAF) station in Jammu for both the soldiers martyred by the terrorists.
General Officer Commanding of the Jammu-based White Knight Corps, Lieutenant General Navin Sachdeva, led the wreath-laying ceremony and paid rich tribute to the two soldiers. Senior police officers, including Deputy Inspector General of Police, Jammu-Samba-Kathua range, Shiv Kumar Sharma, also attended the function.
“In a solemn wreath-laying ceremony, GOC White Knight Corps laid a wreath to pay homage to bravehearts Naib Subedar Vipan Kumar and Rifleman Arvind Singh who made the supreme sacrifice in the highest traditions of Indian Army. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” the Army said in a post on X.
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