The shootout inside the Government Medical College premises in Kathua took place after a police team intercepted the members of a gang linked to the 2023 murder of a gangster.
Sepoy Pradeep Singh, who was with the Sikh Light Infantry, was part of 19 Rashtriya Rifles. The 27-year-old soldier, with seven years of service in the Army, was from Punjab’s Patiala, and is survived by his wife.
Infiltration without weapons, using non-traditional routes, has also been on the rise. There have been incidents of dropping of arms and ammunition close to the LoC, so that these could be picked up by terror associates on the Indian side.