New Delhi, July 17

Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi today called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah as the security forces intensified their combing operations after a fresh exchange of fire with terrorists in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir.

It is learnt that the security situation in J&K in the wake of the surge in terror attacks was discussed at the meeting with the PM though Army sources insisted it was pre-scheduled. General Dwivedi, who took over as the Army Chief on July 1, has earlier served as Northern Command chief.

The Army Chief also met Amit Shah, briefing him on the counter-terror operations in the state.

Four soldiers lost their lives in a terrorist attack on a search party in Doda on July 15. In the past three years, some 40 soldiers have lost their lives in the Jammu region. Since April 2023, at least 28 soldiers have been killed in terror-related incidents in J&K.

Meanwhile, the combing operations in the Jammu region were intensified after security forces and terrorists exchanged fire twice briefly within a span of four hours on the intervening night of July 16-17 in a forest area in Doda district. There are no reports of any casualties in the latest exchange of fire.

Taking advantage of the darkness, difficult terrain and thick foliage, the terrorists managed to slip away, officials said.

Troops of the Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police had launched a joint cordon and search operation in the Desa forest belt, some 55 km from Doda town, late Monday evening following information about the presence of terrorists.

The Army is using drones to locate the terrorists hiding in the forests, but the dense foliage is hindering its task. The Army suspects that the terrorists could be former soldiers of the Pakistan army.