"Some of the terrorists were retired Pakistani soldiers": Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Rajouri encounter

Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi said some of the terrorists involved in the encounter in Rajouri district, which left five Army personnel dead, were retired Pakistani soldiers, PTI reported. Lt General Dwivedi, who paid floral tributes to the five soldiers on Friday, said Pakistan was attempting to inject foreign terrorists in J&K as local recruitment had stopped.

"We found that some of the terrorists were retired (Pakistan) soldiers. As there are no local recruits here, Pakistan is trying to bring foreign terrorists here. We are trying to eliminate all the foreign terrorists," says General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Northern Command Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi responding to a question if some of the terrorists could be from Pakistan's special forces.

VIDEO | "We found that some of the terrorists were retired (Pakistan) soldiers. As there are no local recruits here, Pakistan is trying to bring foreign terrorists here. We are trying to eliminate all the foreign terrorists," says General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C)… pic.twitter.com/akqae7cnYm

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 24, 2023

Rajouri encounter

The encounter broke out between terrorists and a joint team of the Indian Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the Bajimaal area of Dharamsala. While the forces suffered five casualties on its side, two terrorists, including a top LeT commander and sniper, identified as Quari, were also neutralised on Thursday. The Army said that it recovered large quantities of 'War Like Stores' from the encounter site.

Indian Army, J-K Police pay tributes to 5 soldiers

The Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday morning paid floral tributes to five soldiers who were killed in an encounter in Rajouri district. Two terrorists, including a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander trained in Afghanistan, and five soldiers, including two captains, were killed in a 36-hour-long gunfight with security forces on Wednesday and Thursday in the Bajimaal area of Darmsal.

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. Those who laid down their lives fighting terrorists were Captain MV Pranjal (63 RR) of Mangalore area of Karnataka, Captain Shubham Gupta (9 Para) of Agra of Uttar Pradesh, Havaldar Abdul Majid (Para) of Ajote in Poonch, J-K; Lance Naik Sanjay Bist of Halli Padli area of Nainital, UK and Paratrooper Sachin Laur of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.

Captain Pranjal is survived by his wife Aditi G, while Capt Gupta leaves behind his father Basant Kumar Gupta. Havaldar Majid is survived by his wife Sagera Bi and three children, while Lance Naik Bisht and Paratrooper Laur leave behind their mothers Manju Devi and Bhagvati Devi, respectively.

The mortal remains of the martyred army personnel are being sent to their native places for last rites.