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| JCO martyred leading counter-infiltration operation | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 12: An army Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was martyred in an encounter with terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Akhnoor sector, but thwarted their attempt to infiltrate into India from across the border, officials said on Saturday.
The terrorists are believed to have sneaked back into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the intense gunfight in the Keri Bhattal area, the officials said.
The Army said the slain officer, Subedar Kuldeep Chand of 9-Punjab, was a resident of Himachal Pradesh.
“GOC (General Officer Commanding) White Knight Corps (Lt Gen P K Mishra) and all ranks salute the supreme sacrifice of braveheart Sub Kuldeep Chand of 9 PUNJAB. He laid down his life while gallantly leading a counter-infiltration operation along the LoC in the Keri Battal area of Sunderbani on the night of 11 Apr 2025.
“His team’s valour and Sub Kuldeep’s ultimate sacrifice foiled an infiltration attempt by terrorists. We stand in solidarity with the bereaved family in this hour of grief,” the Jammu-based White Knight Corps, also known as XVI corps, posted on X.
Officials said the alert troops picked up the movement of a group of heavily armed terrorists near a stream in a forward forest setting in the Keri Bhattal area late Friday night, and challenged them, leading to a fierce gunfight which continued for quite some time.
Subedar Kuldeep Chand was injured in the encounter and later succumbed, the officials said, adding the whole area has been cordoned off with deployment of reinforcements, and a search operation was underway when last reports were received.
In the same area on February 11, two Army personnel, including a captain, were martyred and another was injured when terrorists set off an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
The latest incident comes two days after India and Pakistan held a brigade commander-level flag meeting in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district to discuss issues related to border management.
This was the second such meeting since February in an effort to de-escalate tension after nearly a dozen incidents of cross-border firing, and an IED attack.
The Indian Army lodged a strong protest with their counterparts over the cross-border terror activities and the ceasefire violations.
Ceasefire violations along the LoC have become rare since India and Pakistan renewed their ceasefire agreement on February 25, 2021.
On April 5, Border Security Force (BSF) personnel shot dead a Pakistani intruder along the International Border in the R S Pura sector here and later held a flag meeting with Rangers over the incident. |
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