5 Army personnel killed, 5 injured as terrorists ambush vehicle in Kathua

 

FIVE Army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer, were killed and as many were injured on Monday when heavily armed terrorists ambushed a patrolling party in the remote Machedi area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, officials said. The terror attack, the fifth in Jammu region in a month, evoked widespread condemnation with political leaders including three former Chief Ministers expressing concern over the growing terror incidents, especially in the Jammu region where militancy has returned after being wiped out over two decades ago. The terrorists targeted an Army truck, part of a routine patrolling party, with a grenade and gunfire on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road near Badnota village in Lohai Malhar, approximately 150 km from Kathua town, at around 3:30 pm, the officials said. After the ambush, the terrorists fled into the nearby forest as the Army, assisted by police and paramilitary personnel, retaliated. The Army vehicle, carrying ten occupants, bore the brunt of the attack, resulting in fatal injuries to five soldiers, including a JCO. Five others are undergoing treatment.

 

An exchange of fire between the terrorists and security forces ensued, with reinforcements quickly dispatched to the area to neutralise 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 within one month, following a similar confrontation on June 12 and 13 that left two terrorists and a CRPF jawan dead. A massive search operation is on despite heavy rains, the officials said. Director General of Police R R Swain is personally overseeing the anti-terrorist operation in the dense forest area, connected to Basantgarh in Udhampur district, where several encounters have occurred in the past. Killing of 6 terrorists big blow to Hizbul, SAYS Army: AFTER six terrorists were killed in two different encounters in Jammu and Kashmir, Brigadier Prithviraj Chauhan, Commander 1sec RR, said on Monday that the killing of terrorists in South Kashmir is a significant blow to Hizbul-Mujahideen. Chauhan also mentioned that, during the operation, two Army personnel also sacrificed their lives. Speaking on the Kulgam encounter, Javed Ahmad Matoo, DIG South Kashmir, said that in two joint operations conducted from July 6 to 7, two terrorists were killed in total. “Adil, who had multiple FIRs against him in different police stations, was killed in one operation. The second encounter took place in the Chinigham area based on specific information, resulting in the killing of four terrorists. Among them was Yavar Bashir Dar, a Category ‘A’ terrorist.

 

The others were identified as Tauheed Ahmed, Shakeel Ahmed Wani, and Zahir Ahmad Dar. A significant cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the encounter site. Both locations had hideouts that the terrorists had been using for a considerable time,” Matoo said. The Indian Army on Sunday paid tributes to the two soldiers who lost their lives in two separate encounters in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district. “Chinar Corps Commander, Chief Secretary of J-K, DGP J-K, and other dignitaries and all ranks paid homage to Lance Naik Pardeep Kumar and Sepoy Pravin Janjal Prabhakar, who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty in Kulgam on 06 Jul 2024,” Indian Army Chinar Corps posted on X on Sunday. The first encounter broke out between terrorists and security forces in Modergam village. Hours later, another encounter broke out in the Frisal Chinnigam area of the district. The forest area is connected to Basantgarh in Udhampur district. A village defence guard Mohd Sharief was killed in an encounter with terrorists on April 28 in Panara village of Basantgarh.

 

The officials said there were apprehensions that this route was used by terrorists to reach the hinterland after they managed to sneak in from across the border. The Jammu region, known for its peaceful atmosphere, has been shaken 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 handlers to reignite terrorism. Security agencies have been on high alert following a recent ambush in the Gandoh area of Doda district, where three foreign terrorists were killed in a gunfight on June 26. An Army camp in the Manjkote area of Rajouri district was targeted in a firing incident early 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 persons 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.