A tragic incident occurred in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur district on Monday when a CRPF inspector lost his life in a terrorist attack targeting a joint patrol of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police.
According to reports, the attack took place at approximately 3:30 PM in the remote Dudu area of Basantgarh. The terrorists opened fire on the joint team, fatally wounding Kuldeep Singh, an inspector from the CRPF’s 187th battalion. Inspector Singh was struck by a bullet and, despite immediate efforts, succumbed to his injuries while being transported to the hospital.
In response, the joint team retaliated strongly, forcing the terrorists to flee. Authorities have since launched a comprehensive search operation to track down the assailants.
This attack comes as Jammu and Kashmir gears up for its first assembly elections as a Union Territory. The last time the region held assembly elections was in 2014 when it was still a state. Following delimitation, the Union Territory now has 90 assembly constituencies, with 74 general, nine reserved for Scheduled Tribes, and seven for Scheduled Castes.
The election will be conducted in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with vote counting scheduled for October 4. The Ministry of Home Affairs has committed to providing all necessary security to ensure a smooth electoral process.
Currently, around 70 battalions of central paramilitary forces, totaling approximately 70,000 personnel, are stationed in Jammu and Kashmir to manage insurgency and law and order. In addition, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Indian Army maintain vigilance along the border. Approximately 50,000 personnel who were deployed for the Amarnath Yatra may also be assigned to election duties in the Valley.
CRPF Inspector Martyred in Terrorist Attack in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir