Srinagar:

Three soldiers died after an Army truck skidded off the road and plunged into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Saturday.

Officials said bad weather played a role in the accident, which occurred near the SK Payen area around 2.30 pm.

In a similar incident last month, five soldiers died and five others were injured after the truck they were travelling in plunged into a 300-foot gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch. 

“All ranks of #WhiteKnightCorps extend their deepest condolences on the tragic loss of five brave soldiers in a vehicle accident during operational duty in the #Poonch sector,” the Army’s White Knight Corps had written on X.

Many leaders had expressed sorrow over the incident, including Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “I pay my heartfelt tribute to the martyrs and hope for the speedy recovery of the injured soldiers. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families.”

Jammu:

A man working with Hizbul Mujahideen was arrested as the security forces conducted search operations in different parts of the Poonch, Rajouri, Kishtwar and Doda districts in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, officials said.

Abdul Khalil, a resident of north Kashmir’s Bandipora, was arrested from the Surankote area of Poonch district during an anti-terrorist operation, the officials said.

A pistol and some ammunition were recovered from the possession of Khalil, who is working as a guide to facilitate infiltrating terrorists of the proscribed Hizbul Mujahideen terror outfit, they said.

The officials said that a mobile phone with multiple Pakistani SIM cards was also recovered from the possession of the arrested terror operative.

The security forces also conducted a cordon and search operation in nearly half a dozen villages following information about the movement of two suspected terrorists in the Dehra Ki Gali area of Poonch, the officials said.

They said that two armed suspects, dressed in black, were seen moving in Salampura village near Dehra Ki Gali late Monday night.

The police assisted by the Rashtriya Rifles and CRPF launched a joint operation immediately after getting the information.

The suspected terrorists were seen moving towards lower Pangai, the officials said, adding the search operation is underway but there was no contact with the suspected terrorists so far.

The officials further said the security forces also launched a search operation at Sanai, Jangal, Pattan and adjoining villages in Surankote area of Poonch and Bangar-Saroor forest in Drabshalla area of Kishtwar district this morning.

The search operations were also conducted in Dessa and adjoining forests in Doda and forward areas in the Lam and Nowshera sectors of the Rajouri district, they said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)