Indian Army, police pay tribute to soldiers martyred in Rajouri, UP CM Adityanath announces ex-gratia

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday announced an ex gratia of Rs 50 lakh and a government job for the kin of deceased Indian Army Captain Shubham Gupta. The braveheart, along with three other soldiers was killed in an encounter between security forces and terrorists that occurred near Rajouri in Jammu on Wednesday.

Tributes poured in for the slain army personnel on Friday and the Uttar Pradesh CM also said that a road in the district would be named after Captain Shubham Gupta to honour him. The Indian Army and Police on Friday morning paid floral tribute to the four soldiers who were killed while fighting terrorists in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The gun-battle went on for nearly 36 hours with Indian security forces managing to eliminate two terrorists allegedly belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). One of the terrorists killed is believed to be a top commander of the LeT, reportedly trained in Afghanistan.

A wreath-laying ceremony was organised by the army at Army General Hospital Rajouri in which the General Officer Commanding Romeo Force and other officers and police officials laid wreaths and paid tributes to the martyred army men.

Among the two terrorists who were also killed in the encounter between terrorists and joint forces of the Army and J-K Police in the Bajimaal area of Dharmsal in the Rajouri district, one has been identified as Quari, a Pakistani national and a hard-core terrorist. He has been trained on the Pakistani and Afghan fronts, as per the PRO Defence Jammu.

On Friday, 16 Corps Commander and Rashtriya Rifles’ Romeo Force commanders were still monitoring the operations closely, according to people aware of the developments.

Based on specific intelligence, joint operations had been launched in the Kalakote Area, Gulabgarh Forest, and Rajouri District.

“The terrorists have been injured and surrounded and operations are in progress,” said the Indian Army’s White Knight Corps on the ongoing anti-terror operation in the Kalakote area of Rajouri, J&K.