Four Army personnel, including an officer, and a cop were killed during an encounter with heavily armed terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.
The attack was claimed by 'Kashmir Tigers', a shadow group of Pakistan-backed terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).
After a brief exchange of fire, the officials said the terrorists attempted to escape but were chased by the troops led by an officer, despite challenging terrain and thick foliage, leading to another firefight in the woods at nearly 9 pm.
Five soldiers were critically injured in the encounter and four of them, including the officer, later succumbed to injuries, the officials confirmed.
In a statement, the terror group 'Kashmir Tigers' said the clash and gunfire erupted while the security forces launched a search operation for the "Mujahideen".
'Kashmir Tigers' is the same group which earlier claimed responsibility for the attack on an Army convoy in Kathua on July 9.
On Tuesday, a video shared by news agency ANI showed morning visuals from the Doda area of Jammu and Kashmir, where the gunfight erupted on Monday night.
THE DODA ENCOUNTER
Officials said the gunbattle began after a cordon and search operation was launched in the Desa forest area around 7.45 pm.
Security personnel suffered injuries during the exchange of fire, which initially lasted for over 20 minutes.
The injured were evacuated to hospital and their condition was stated to be "critical", officials said on Monday. The operation was ongoing as two to three terrorists were believed to be hiding in the area, they added.
According to the Army's 16 Corps, also known as White Knight Corps, contact with terrorists was established at about 9 pm when a heavy gunfight occurred.
"Initial reports suggest injuries to our bravehearts," White Knight Corps tweeted.
The operation was launched based on input about the presence of terrorists in the area, according to officials.
"Additional troops have been moved into the area. Operations are continuing," White Knight Corps said.
Security forces are on high alert in Jammu and Kashmir following a spate of terror attacks at several places in the Jammu region for the past few weeks.
The Indian Army foiled an infiltration bid on July 14 along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district and gunned down three terrorists.
On July 8, five Army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer, died, and as many were injured when terrorists ambushed an Army convoy on a rugged mountainous road in Kathua district.
On July 6, six terrorists were shot dead by security forces in twin gunfights in Kulgam district. Two soldiers lost their lives during the separate encounters.
Most recently, in Doda, three terrorists were killed in a gunbattle with security forces on June 26. The gunfight took place after the Army cordoned off a hideout with four terrorists, three of whom were killed.
