A Territorial Army soldier, who was kidnapped during an anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, was found dead with multiple injuries, including bullet and knife wounds, according to sources. Initial reports indicate that two soldiers from the 161 unit of the Territorial Army were abducted from the Kazwan Forest area on October 8, as part of an ongoing operation against terrorists. One of the soldiers managed to escape despite being shot twice and is currently in stable condition.
The body of the second soldier was later discovered in the Pathribal forest area of Anantnag during a search operation, which was launched immediately after his disappearance. A massive search effort is still underway to locate the missing soldier. The incident coincided with the counting of votes in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.
The martyred TA soldier Hilal Ahmad Bhat resident of Mukdhampora Nowgam Anantnag has joined TA 2 years back. He is survived with his parents , wife and 2 children of age 4 year and another child of aged 10 month .
In a post on X, the Indian Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps confirmed the joint counter-terrorist operation, conducted alongside the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The operation remains active as efforts to secure the area continue.
This attack follows a series of deadly incidents in the region, including the killing of two soldiers and injuries to three others in August during a clash with terrorists in Anantnag, and the deaths of four army personnel and a police officer during an earlier encounter in the Doda district. The ‘Kashmir Tigers,’ a proxy group of the Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), claimed responsibility for that attack.