Doda firing: One killed, three SOG cops hurt after rifle-snatch bid
Synopsis
A youth died and three SOG cops were wounded after an alleged rifle-snatch attempt on a security ambush team along the Jaie-Gandoh road in Doda — the latest in a pattern of escalating militant-linked incidents in the Jammu region that has been intensifying since mid-2024.
Key Takeaways
Aarif Hussain, 30 , of Cheeka village was killed after allegedly attacking an SOG team and attempting to snatch a service rifle on the Jaie-Gandoh road, Doda , on the night of 17 July 2025 .
Three SOG personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police were injured in the scuffle.
A religious preacher has been detained; his link to the incident has not yet been established by officials.
Additional CRPF and police deployments have been made in Bhaderwah town as a precautionary measure.
The Indian Army has launched a search operation in the Jaie area .
The incident follows a July 2024 ambush in the same region that killed four Army soldiers , reflecting a broader resurgence of militant activity in the Jammu region .
A youth was killed and three Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police were injured in a late-night firing incident in Doda district on Thursday, 17 July 2025, after the man allegedly attempted to snatch a service rifle from a security team. A religious preacher has since been detained in connection with the incident, though officials said his precise link to the episode was not immediately established.
How the Incident Unfolded
An SOG team had laid an ambush along the Jaie-Gandoh road, approximately 35 km from Bhaderwah town, following intelligence inputs about suspicious movement in the high-altitude area. At around 11.30 pm, the team intercepted a youth who allegedly launched a physical attack on the personnel and tried to grab a service weapon.
'During the scuffle, an SOG jawan opened fire. The youth sustained bullet injuries, while three police personnel were injured in the incident,' a senior officer said. All four were rushed to the Sub-District Hospital, Bhaderwah, before being referred to Government Medical College, Doda for specialised care.
The youth, identified as Aarif Hussain, 30, a resident of Cheeka village, succumbed to his injuries, according to officials.
Security Response and Precautionary Measures
As a precautionary measure, additional deployments of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and police have been made in Bhaderwah town. The Indian Army has launched a search operation in the Jaie area to determine whether the incident was an isolated one or part of a larger pattern of activity.
The detained religious preacher is being questioned, though authorities have not yet established a clear operational link between him and the rifle-snatch attempt.
Doda's History of Militancy
Militancy in Doda emerged in the early 1990s as the first major theatre of armed violence outside the Kashmir Valley. The district's rugged, forested terrain served as a strategic corridor for cross-border infiltration, and groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba used it to establish guerrilla bases. The region witnessed severe sectarian violence, including the 1996 Barshala massacre, the 2001 Kishtwar massacres, and the 2006 Doda massacre in which 57 Hindu civilians were killed.
Aggressive counter-insurgency operations by the Indian Army, Rashtriya Rifles, and paramilitary forces largely suppressed active militancy by the late 2000s, bringing a period of relative calm. The government also established Village Defence Committees (VDCs) to arm local villagers, which contributed to a decline in attacks on unarmed civilians.
Renewed Militant Activity in Jammu Region
The relative peace has been disturbed in recent years. The wider Jammu region has witnessed a significant revival of militant activity since the early 2020s, with incidents peaking around mid-2024. The Doda region itself recorded renewed terrorist strikes and high-altitude encounters, including a major ambush in July 2024 that killed four Army soldiers. Thursday night's incident is the latest in this pattern of escalating security challenges in the region.
Point of View
If confirmed as militant-linked, signals a tactical shift: targeting weapons rather than personnel, which is a classic early-stage insurgency resupply tactic. The detention of a religious preacher without an established link risks conflating religious identity with militancy — a pattern that has historically generated local grievance and complicated intelligence cooperation. The Army's immediate launch of a search operation in the Jaie area suggests the security establishment does not regard this as a standalone incident.
NationPress
17 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Doda firing incident on 17 July 2025?
A youth identified as Aarif Hussain, 30, allegedly attacked an SOG team on the Jaie-Gandoh road in Doda and attempted to snatch a service rifle. An SOG jawan opened fire during the scuffle; Hussain sustained bullet injuries and later died, while three SOG personnel were also injured.
Who has been detained in connection with the Doda incident?
A religious preacher has been detained by police in connection with the incident. However, officials said his precise link to the rifle-snatch attempt had not been immediately established.
What security measures have been taken after the Doda firing?
Additional CRPF and police personnel have been deployed in Bhaderwah town as a precautionary measure. The Indian Army has separately launched a search operation in the Jaie area to assess the broader security situation.
Why is Doda considered a sensitive security zone?
Doda has a long history of militancy dating to the early 1990s, when it became the first major theatre of armed violence outside the Kashmir Valley. Despite a period of relative calm following counter-insurgency operations in the late 2000s, the wider Jammu region has seen a significant revival of militant activity since the early 2020s, including a deadly ambush in July 2024 that killed four Army soldiers.
Who was Aarif Hussain?
Aarif Hussain was a 30-year-old resident of Cheeka village in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. He was intercepted by an SOG team on the Jaie-Gandoh road late on Thursday night and died of bullet injuries sustained during the subsequent scuffle, according to officials.
