3 Personnel Injured After 2 Men Try to Snatch SOG Rifle in Jammu & Kashmir's Doda; 1 Suspect Killed, Another on the Run

A late-night security operation in the Bhaderwah area of Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district turned violent after two men attempted to snatch service rifle from a Special Operations Group (SOG) team. The ensuing scuffle left one suspect dead and three SOG personnel injured, with police launching a manhunt for the second accused while ruling out any terror link to the incident.

According to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the incident took place in the Jai Valley area when an SOG team challenged two persons after detecting suspicious movement.

In an official statement, police said that the suspects got into an altercation with the SOG jawans and attempted to snatch a weapon, leading to a violent scuffle. A single round was discharged by police during the struggle, injuring one of the suspects.

The injured suspect was immediately shifted to hospital but later succumbed to his injuries. He has been identified as Arif (Aarif Hussain), 30, of Cheeka village in Bhaderwah. Police said that the place of the incident was around 25 km from his residence. The second suspect managed to flee, and a search operation is underway to trace him.

3 SOG jawans injured, 1 critical

Three SOG personnel sustained injuries during the incident and one of the injured policemen suffered serious head injuries and remains in critical condition. All the injured personnel were initially taken to the Sub-District Hospital, Bhaderwah, before being referred to the Government Medical College (GMC), Doda, for specialised treatment.

The incident took pace when the SOG team had laid an ambush along the Jaie-Gandoh road, about 35 km from Bhaderwah town, following reports of suspicious movement in the high-altitude area.

At around 11.30 PM, the team intercepted the suspects, after which one of them allegedly attacked the security personnel and attempted to snatch a service rifle, triggering the scuffle.

However, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has refuted terror angle and preliminary investigation suggested that the deceased was allegedly involved in bovine smuggling.

Police have also detained a religious preacher for questioning in connection with the incident. However, officials clarified that his connection to the case has not yet been established.

Following the incident, the Army launched a search operation in the Jai area to trace the absconding suspect. Additional deployments of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jammu and Kashmir Police have been made in Bhaderwah town to maintain law and order.