A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer was killed in an encounter with terrorists at Basantgarh area in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.
A police official said that during an area domination patrol at Chill in Dudu, an exchange of fire took place between terrorists and joint parties of JKP and CRPF.
"In the encounter, a CRPF Inspector suffered bullet injuries and was shifted to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to injuries,” he said.
The deceased CRPF officer was identified as Kuldeep Kumar.
Additional troops have been rushed to the area to tighten the siege and prevent terrorists from escaping from the area.
There has been a spurt of terror activities in Jammu region, especially in the southern reaches of the Pir Panjal range, which contains thick forests and steep mountains that provide cover for terrorists.
On August 14, an army officer, Captain Deepak Singh, was killed in an encounter in Doda district. A civilian was also injured in the incident. A terrorist was also killed in the encounter.
On August 10, two soldiers and a civilian were killed during a gunfight between terrorists and security forces in Anantnag.
The Jammu region has witnessed attacks on an army convoy in Kathua, skirmishes in Doda and Udhampur. A Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) attack took place on an Indian army post along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district's Maachil sector in which an army soldier and a Pakistan intruder were killed.
The government, while maintaining a focus on securing the Kashmir Valley, has also recognised the need to bolster security in the Jammu region. This has resulted in the mobilisation of additional forces for deployment in key areas.
One of the primary objectives of the government's new security strategy is to plug infiltration routes used by terrorists to enter Jammu and Kashmir.
Security audits conducted by various agencies identified about two dozen sectors along the Line of Control (LOC) in the valley and the international border in the Jammu sector. Terrorists often take help from local guides to cross over.
The terrorists are equipped with sophisticated weapons like the American-made M4 assault ride with an infrared thermal sight and are trained in jungle warfare.
About 4000 additional troops including 500 elite commandos have been deployed in the Jammu region to tackle the growing militancy.