Nadia (West Bengal) [India], April 25 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday reached out to the grieving family of havaldar Jhantu Ali Sheikh, the army special forces comando soldier of 6 Para from Nadia district of the State, who was killed in the April 24 militant attack in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ali Shaikh was killed and two of his colleagues were critically injured in an encounter between terrorists and security forces in the Dudu-Basantgarh area of Udhampur district yesterday.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called up Nazim Sheikh, the cousin of Jhantu Ali Sheikh, around 1 pm yesterday.

Sheikh spoke to the Chief Minister for about 12 minutes in the call where she offered her heartfelt condolences and assured his family of her full support.

The Chief Minister told Nazom Shiekh that he could call her 'whenever you need' and said she offered his family a direct line of communication in their time of grief.

On Thursday, an encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district. 'Based on specific intelligence, a joint operation with Jammu and Kashmir was launched in Basantgarh, Udhampur. Contact was established, and a fierce firefight ensued. One of our Bravehearts sustained grievous injuries in the initial exchange and later succumbed despite the best medical efforts,' White Knight Corps, Indian Army, posted on X.

On Friday, Security forces launched a search operation in the Bandipora district of the Union Territory, according to official sources who said that a search operation was being conducted in the Kulnar Bazipora area of the district.

Earlier in another operation on April 23, OP TIKKA, Baramulla, there was a heavy exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists. Two terrorists were eliminated, and the security forces foiled an infiltration bid. A large quantity of weapons, ammunition and other war-like stores were recovered from the terrorists

Meanwhile, Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi arrived in Srinagar today to assess the security situation in the region following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.

According to Defence officials, the Army Chief is scheduled to meet senior Army commanders deployed in the Kashmir Valley, along with officials from other security agencies. He will be reviewing the ongoing security situation in the valley and attempts by the Pakistan Army to violate the ceasefire along the Line of Control there.

The Indian Army is on a high alert, launching several search operations to neutralise the terrorists following the terror attack in Pahalgam in which 26 people were killed. The incident has sparked nationwide outrage, with widespread protests erupting across the country, demanding stricter action against Pakistan over the Pahalgam attack. (ANI)