The Kashmir Tigers terror group has taken responsibility of the killing of three jawans and a captain during a gunfight with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Tuesday.
The Doda casualty comes in a series of attacks on security forces during normal operations in June.
According to a report by ThePrint, in 2024 alone, 11 security forces personnel lost their lives — four Army soldiers in Doda, five soldiers in Kathua in July, one Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel in Poonch in May, and a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in June.
What Happened in Doda?
At around 2 am on Tuesday, terrorists targeted a temporary security camp established in a government school for ongoing search operations. In response to the terrorist attack, security forces engaged in a firefight that continued for more than one hour.
The encounter in Jaddan Bata village in the Kastigarh area in Doda district is part of the larger search operation that was initiated following the killing of four army personnel, including a captain, by terrorists in Desa on the night between Monday and Tuesday.
Who are Kashmir Tigers?
The terror group has claimed responsibility for many of the attacks such as the one in Doda in the last three years. The existence of Kashmir Tigers first came to be known in January 2021 after the abrogation of Article 370 when they claimed responsibility for attacking a police bus in Srinagar, killing three soldiers and injuring several others.
According to the police, the Kashmir Tigers is a shadow group of the banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad.
JeM has carried out several terrorist attacks since its formation in 2001 including Jammu and Kashmir. It was enlisted as a ‘Designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation’ by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267 and the group’s global leader Masood Azhar was designated as a ‘Global Terrorist’ in 2019 by the UNSC. JeM has created several small terror groups to carry out attacks.
The Kashmir Tigers have claimed responsibility for two deadly attacks in the past one week that have killed nine soldiers.
The police further said unlike other terror groups such as JeM, Allah Tigers and Hizbul Mujahideen, which carry names that are distinctly Islamic, the Kashmir Tigers, along with others, have names with no connection to religion.
According to one police official, who was quoted as telling The Diplomat, “the so-called new groups, are just front outfits of the LeT and JeM.” “Their secularisation,” he said, is with regard “to their name only” and is aimed at giving them an image that is more political than religious.”
How Did The Kashmir Tigers Become Stronger?
The terror group had attacked a bus in the highly fortified neighbourhood of Srinagar. Two policemen were killed and 14 others were injured in what was later reported as the first major attack on security forces in the Valley since abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
The police had then said the terrorists had fired indiscriminately on a police bus of the 9th Battalion of J-K Police’s armed wing at Zewan on the outskirts of Srinagar city. It left two policemen dead and 16 injured.
On July 9, the terrorist group attacked a military convoy, who was on a routine patrol on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road around 3.30 pm. According to officials, the terrorists lobbed a grenade and then opened fire.
On July 16, four Army personnel died after a gunfight with terrorists belonging to the Kashmir Tigers. The deceased were identified as Captain Brijesh Thapa, Naik D Rajesh, Sepoy Bijendra and Sepoy Ajay.
Terror in Doda
The Doda district of J&K was declared free of terrorism in 2005. It has experienced a series of attacks since June 12. These incidents include an attack in Chattergala pass that left six security personnel injured, followed by a firefight in Gandoh the following day, resulting in one policeman being injured.
On June 26, three terrorists were eliminated in a day-long operation in Gandoh area, and another encounter took place in Ghadi Bhagwah forest on July 9.
A total of 27 individuals, comprising 11 security personnel, a village defence guard, five terrorists, and seven pilgrims returning from Shiv Khori temple in Reasi district on June 9, have lost their lives in nearly a dozen terror attacks across six districts of Jammu province.
Terrorism Rising in Jammu
Since 2021, the Jammu region has witnessed 31 terror incidents in which 47 security forces and 19 civilians have been killed other than 48 terrorists who were killed in various encounters.
Meanwhile, the Kashmir Valley reported 263 terror incidents in which 68 security forces and 75 civilians were killed. As many as 417 alleged terrorists have also been killed in the Valley since 2021.
The data shows that although the incidents in Jammu remain far fewer than the Valley, it is the frequency and the nature of attacks, targeting pilgrims and security forces that is worrying.