Kathua/Jammu, Five army personnel, including a junior officer, were killed and as many others injured on Monday when heavily armed terrorists ambushed a patrolling party in the remote Machedi area in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
The terror attack, the fifth in the Jammu region in a month, sparked widespread condemnation and political leaders, including three former chief ministers, expressed concern over rising terrorist incidents, especially in the Jammu region where militancy has returned after being wiped out more than two decades ago.
The terrorists attacked an army truck, part of a routine patrol, with grenades and gunfire on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road near Badnota village in Lohai Malhar, approximately 150 kilometers from Kathua town, around 3:30 p.m. m., officials said. said.After the ambush, the terrorists fled into the nearby forest while the army, assisted by police and paramilitary personnel, retaliated.
The army vehicle, carrying ten occupants, bore the brunt of the attack, which resulted in fatal injuries to five soldiers, including a JCO. Five others are receiving treatment.
An exchange of fire ensued between the terrorists and security forces, and reinforcements were quickly sent to the area to neutralize the attackers (believed to be three in number and heavily armed) who may have recently infiltrated from across the border. .It is the second major attack in Kathua district in a month, after a similar encounter on June 12 and 13 that left two terrorists and a CRPF jawan dead.
Despite heavy rain, a massive search operation is underway, officials said.
Director General of Police R R Swain is personally supervising the anti-terror operation in the dense forest area connected to Basantgarh in Udhampur district, where several encounters have taken place in the past.The forest area is connected to Basantgarh in the district of Udhampur. A village defense guard, Mohd Sharief, was killed in an encounter with terrorists on April 28 in Panara village in Basantgarh.
Officials said there were fears that this route would be used by terrorists to reach the interior after they managed to sneak in from across the border.
The Jammu region, known for its peaceful atmosphere, has been rocked in recent months by a series of ambushes and attacks by terrorists, particularly in the border districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda and Reasi. The recent escalation in terrorist activities has been attributed to attempts by Pakistani officials to revive terrorism.
Security agencies have been on high alert following a recent ambush in Gandoh area of Doda district, where three foreign terrorists were killed in a gunfight on June 26.
A military camp in the Manjkote area of Rajouri district came under fire early on Sunday, resulting in injuries to a soldier. One of the most tragic incidents occurred on June 9 when terrorists attacked a bus carrying pilgrims from the Shiv Khori temple in Reasi district, claiming the lives of nine people and injuring 41 others.
These incidents follow a pattern of escalating violence in the region, with previous attacks on security vehicles, search parties and military convoys resulting in casualties among both civilians and security personnel.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and former chief ministers (National Conference's Omar Abdullah, PDP's Mehboob Mufti and Ghulam Nabi Azad) mourned the loss of lives and expressed concern over the security situation in the region. In a post on X, Gandhi stated that "the fifth terrorist attack in a month is a severe blow to the security of the country and the lives of our soldiers."
"The response to the continued terrorist attacks has to be strict action, not empty speeches and false promises," he said, attacking the government.
The security situation in Jammu and Kashmir is on a downward spiral, Kharge said, adding: "No amount of cover-up, false claims, empty boasts and chest-beating can erase the fact that the Modi government remains a disaster for national security in J&K. "Mehbooba, in a post on
"It tells them everything there is to know about the current security situation in J&K. Our condolences go out to their families," the PDP leader said.
Azad said on of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Poonch district, killing one soldier and injuring several others.
The attackers are believed to be the same group of terrorists who carried out an ambush on troops in neighboring Bufliaz on December 21 last year that left four soldiers dead and three others injured.
The Bufliaz ambush came weeks after a major gunfight in the Dharmsal belt of Bajimaal forest in Rajouri that left five army personnel, including two captains, dead. Two terrorists, including a senior LeT commander identified as Quari, also They died in the shootout that lasted two days.
Quari was said to be the mastermind behind several attacks, including the killing of 10 civilians and five army personnel in the district.
The stretch between Dhera Ki Gali and Bufliaz on the Rajouri and Poonch border is densely forested and leads to Chamrer forest and then Bhata Dhurian forest, where five soldiers were killed in an ambush on an army vehicle on April 20 of the year last.In May last year, five more army personnel were killed and a senior officer injured in the Chamrer forest during a counter-terrorism operation. A foreign terrorist was also killed in the operation.
In 2022, five army personnel were killed when terrorists carried out a suicide attack on their camp at Pargal in Darhal area of Rajouri district. Both terrorists involved in the attack were eliminated.
In 2021, nine soldiers were killed in two separate terrorist attacks in the forested region. While five army personnel, including a junior officer (JCO), were killed on October 11 in Chamrer, one JCO and three soldiers were killed on October 14 in a nearby forest. Despite these adversities, security forces remain vigilant in their efforts to combat terrorism and safeguard the residents of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
The terror attack, the fifth in the Jammu region in a month, sparked widespread condemnation and political leaders, including three former chief ministers, expressed concern over rising terrorist incidents, especially in the Jammu region where militancy has returned after being wiped out more than two decades ago.
The terrorists attacked an army truck, part of a routine patrol, with grenades and gunfire on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road near Badnota village in Lohai Malhar, approximately 150 kilometers from Kathua town, around 3:30 p.m. m., officials said. said.After the ambush, the terrorists fled into the nearby forest while the army, assisted by police and paramilitary personnel, retaliated.
The army vehicle, carrying ten occupants, bore the brunt of the attack, which resulted in fatal injuries to five soldiers, including a JCO. Five others are receiving treatment.
An exchange of fire ensued between the terrorists and security forces, and reinforcements were quickly sent to the area to neutralize the attackers (believed to be three in number and heavily armed) who may have recently infiltrated from across the border. .It is the second major attack in Kathua district in a month, after a similar encounter on June 12 and 13 that left two terrorists and a CRPF jawan dead.
Despite heavy rain, a massive search operation is underway, officials said.
Director General of Police R R Swain is personally supervising the anti-terror operation in the dense forest area connected to Basantgarh in Udhampur district, where several encounters have taken place in the past.The forest area is connected to Basantgarh in the district of Udhampur. A village defense guard, Mohd Sharief, was killed in an encounter with terrorists on April 28 in Panara village in Basantgarh.
Officials said there were fears that this route would be used by terrorists to reach the interior after they managed to sneak in from across the border.
The Jammu region, known for its peaceful atmosphere, has been rocked in recent months by a series of ambushes and attacks by terrorists, particularly in the border districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda and Reasi. The recent escalation in terrorist activities has been attributed to attempts by Pakistani officials to revive terrorism.
Security agencies have been on high alert following a recent ambush in Gandoh area of Doda district, where three foreign terrorists were killed in a gunfight on June 26.
A military camp in the Manjkote area of Rajouri district came under fire early on Sunday, resulting in injuries to a soldier. One of the most tragic incidents occurred on June 9 when terrorists attacked a bus carrying pilgrims from the Shiv Khori temple in Reasi district, claiming the lives of nine people and injuring 41 others.
These incidents follow a pattern of escalating violence in the region, with previous attacks on security vehicles, search parties and military convoys resulting in casualties among both civilians and security personnel.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and former chief ministers (National Conference's Omar Abdullah, PDP's Mehboob Mufti and Ghulam Nabi Azad) mourned the loss of lives and expressed concern over the security situation in the region. In a post on X, Gandhi stated that "the fifth terrorist attack in a month is a severe blow to the security of the country and the lives of our soldiers."
"The response to the continued terrorist attacks has to be strict action, not empty speeches and false promises," he said, attacking the government.
The security situation in Jammu and Kashmir is on a downward spiral, Kharge said, adding: "No amount of cover-up, false claims, empty boasts and chest-beating can erase the fact that the Modi government remains a disaster for national security in J&K. "Mehbooba, in a post on
"It tells them everything there is to know about the current security situation in J&K. Our condolences go out to their families," the PDP leader said.
Azad said on of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Poonch district, killing one soldier and injuring several others.
The attackers are believed to be the same group of terrorists who carried out an ambush on troops in neighboring Bufliaz on December 21 last year that left four soldiers dead and three others injured.
The Bufliaz ambush came weeks after a major gunfight in the Dharmsal belt of Bajimaal forest in Rajouri that left five army personnel, including two captains, dead. Two terrorists, including a senior LeT commander identified as Quari, also They died in the shootout that lasted two days.
Quari was said to be the mastermind behind several attacks, including the killing of 10 civilians and five army personnel in the district.
The stretch between Dhera Ki Gali and Bufliaz on the Rajouri and Poonch border is densely forested and leads to Chamrer forest and then Bhata Dhurian forest, where five soldiers were killed in an ambush on an army vehicle on April 20 of the year last.In May last year, five more army personnel were killed and a senior officer injured in the Chamrer forest during a counter-terrorism operation. A foreign terrorist was also killed in the operation.
In 2022, five army personnel were killed when terrorists carried out a suicide attack on their camp at Pargal in Darhal area of Rajouri district. Both terrorists involved in the attack were eliminated.
In 2021, nine soldiers were killed in two separate terrorist attacks in the forested region. While five army personnel, including a junior officer (JCO), were killed on October 11 in Chamrer, one JCO and three soldiers were killed on October 14 in a nearby forest. Despite these adversities, security forces remain vigilant in their efforts to combat terrorism and safeguard the residents of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.