Police personnel and others gather after a man was killed and three Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel were injured in firing when he allegedly tried to snatch a service rifle, in Bhaderwah, Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, on July 17, 2026.
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A civilian allegedly died of “gunshot wounds” in the Chenab Valley’s Bhaderwah on Friday (July 17, 2026). At least two personnel of the J&K Police’s Special Operation Group (SOG), a special anti-insurgency unit, were also injured in the incident. Authorities have subsequently snapped Internet services in the region
“Around 3 a.m., three patients were admitted [to the Doda hospital]. One 35-year-old patient was brought dead. He had (a) gunshot wound. A medical board of doctors conducted the postmortem. The samples were sent to the forensic laboratory in Jammu,” said Tanvir Ahmad, Medical Superintendent of the District Hospital Doda.
The doctor said the other two patients “have minor injuries to the face, head and back”. “They are stable and admitted to the hospital,” he added.
The J&K Police has not issued any statement on the circumstances under which the civilian died. Initial reports suggested the victim, Aarif Hussain, is a resident of Cheeka village.
The incident forced the authorities to suspend Internet services as “precautionary measures” in Doda, Bhaderwah, Bhalesa, and Thatri of the Chenab valley. Extra deployments were made in many sensitive areas. Several locals have started demanding “a fair and transparent investigation” to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the firing.
Preliminary information suggested that the incident took place when the SOG team had laid an ambush along the Jaie-Gandoh road, 35 km from Bhaderwah town. Around 11.30 p.m., the police team spotted the youth in the area.
Published – July 17, 2026 04:00 pm IST
