J-K News: A tragic gunfight in Jammu and Kashmirs Kishtwar region has led to the death of Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Armys special forces, while three other soldiers sustained injuries. The encounter took place on Sunday during a joint counter-insurgency operation between the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police.The Encounter and the SacrificeThe gunbattle erupted earlier in the day when the Army and Police launched a search operation in the Bhart Ridge area of Kishtwar after receiving intelligence on the presence of terrorists. The operation was initiated in response to the brutal murder of two village defence guards (VDGs), Nazir Ahmed and Kuldeep Kumar, whose bullet-ridden bodies had been discovered a few kilometers from the encounter site. The two guards were abducted, blindfolded, and executed by the terrorists days before.The Armys White Knight Corps, in an official statement on X (formerly Twitter), praised the brave efforts of Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar. “The GOC White Knight Corps and all ranks salute the supreme sacrifice of braveheart Nb Sub Rakesh Kumar of 2 Para (SF). We stand with the bereaved family in this hour of grief,” the post read.The Terrorist Attack on Village GuardsThe incident that sparked this operation was the brutal killing of the two village defence guards on Thursday. According to the postmortem report, the victims were shot in the head at close range, from behind, while their hands were tied, and they were blindfolded. The attack occurred when the VDGs, who were unarmed, went into the forest area to graze cattle. Tragically, Kumar, who had just lost his father a week ago, was making his first trip to the forest area after the loss, as his friend Ahmad had been tending to his livestock during his mourning period.The Joint OperationThe search operation, based on specific intelligence input, was a collaborative effort between the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police. The terrorists responsible for the deaths of the village guards were targeted in this operation. Contact was established, and a fierce firefight ensued. Tragically, Naib Subedar Rakesh Kumar was killed in action, but the operation led to the neutralization of some of the militants.
