Five soldiers, including two officers, martyred in encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir

In an ongoing encounter between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri, two Army officers and three soldiers have been martyred. Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar paid tribute to Captain MV Pranjal, Captain Shubham Gupta, and Havildar Abdul Majid in a social media post, revealing their names and sharing photos. The operation, launched after terrorists assaulted a villager who reported the incident to security forces, resulted in the deaths of four soldiers on Wednesday, with another injured soldier succumbing on Thursday. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences to Captain Shubham Gupta's family, and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy paid tribute to Captain MV Pranjal, highlighting his sacrifice in the military operation against terrorists.

Captain MV Pranjal, a 29-year-old officer from the 63 Rashtriya Rifles, and Captain Shubham Gupta, a resident of Agra district commissioned in 2018, were among the martyred soldiers. The operation, situated in the Kalakot forests of Rajouri, led to the killing of two Pakistani terrorists, including Qari, a high-ranking member of Lashkar-e-Taiba. Captain Pranjal's body is expected to be brought to Bengaluru, where he resided, for his last rites. The encounter emphasizes the challenges faced by security forces in the region to counter terrorism, triggered by a villager's report of a terrorist assault.