Who Was Captain Deepak Singh, Martyred During Encounter With Terrorists In Jammu's Forests

Srinagar: An Army captain was martyred and four terrorists were believed to be gunned down in an ongoing operation in the higher reaches of Jammu region's Doda district on Wednesday, officials said.

A civilian was also injured in the encounter that broke out a day ahead of Independence Day and is the latest in a series of incidents in Jammu region that has witnessed a spike in violence. Bullets rang out Wednesday morning in a thickly forested area during a cordon and search operation (CASO) launched by a joint team to track down a group of foreign terrorists hiding in the Shivgarh-Assar belt, officials said. Captain Deepak Singh was critically injured during the operations and shifted to a military hospital where he breathed his last, they said.

Four blood-soaked rucksacks were recovered from the site of the exchange of fire, leading officials to believe that four terrorists were also killed. M-4 carbines were also found, the officials said.

Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Anand Jain told reporters around 2 in the afternoon that the operation was still underway in the area. "The operation is going on. Efforts are on." The Army expressed its deepest condolence on the death of the officer and said the force stands with the bereaved family.

All Ranks of White Knight Corps salute the supreme sacrifice of braveheart Captain Deepak Singh, it said.

Who was Captain Deepak Singh?

Captain Deepak Singh, 24-year-old soldier belonged to the 48 Rashtriya Rifles of the Indian Army, was leading the anti-terror operation at Shivgarh Dhar in Assar in Jammu's Doda on Wednesday when he sacrificed life for the nation.

Captain Deepak Singh sustained injuries during a gunfight with the terrorists. He was rushed to hospital but couldn't survive, even as the encounter continued with the terrorists.

Captain Deepak Singh has two sisters. The elder sister lives in Kerala, who is also married to an Indian Army solider. Singh's father is an ex-Uttarakhand Police Inspector. His family had shifted has relocated from Kerala to Dehradun. Singh's mortal remains are expected to reach his place by tonight.

The gunfight with the terrorists is underway in Jammu's forest areas which are believed to be hiding in the Shivgarh-Assar belt.

The terrorists crossed into Doda from a forest near Patnitop in adjacent Udhampur district after a brief exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists there last evening, officials said.

Sharing her condolence for the martyred soldier, Mehbooba Mufti said, "No words will suffice to express the tragedy at Doda today where Captain Deepak Singh was killed during an encounter. The endless cycle of violence & mayhem in J&K continues to devour the lives of innocents despite tall claims of normalcy by the administration. My deepest condolences to his family.

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