Search operations resumed Wednesday in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir, following a Tuesday encounter and recent ambush in Kathua, resulting in five soldiers’ deaths…reports Asian Lite News
Five Indian soldiers have been killed in an ambush by militants in the Kathua district of India’s Jammu and Kashmir. One soldier injured in the terrorist attack on an army convoy in Kathua on Monday, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, taking to five the toll of soldiers killed in the dastardly attack.
An official said a JCO was among the five martyred army soldiers.
Para commandos were airdropped in the area after the terror attack to trace and hunt down the terrorists.
Officials said the terrorists threw a grenade and then opened automatic fire on army vehicles that were on routine patrol duty on Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road in Kathua at 3.30 p.m.
“The attack by terrorists occurred near Badnota village, which is 150 km away from Kathua town,” officials said. Earlier, officials had said the place of the terrorist attack was 52 km away from Kathua town.
The security forces retaliated, but reports indicate that the terrorists escaped from the spot.
“Ten army soldiers were injured in this terrorist attack. The injured were shifted to the hospital where five soldiers succumbed to critical injuries. Five injured soldiers are being treated at the hospital,” an official said
A massive CASO (Cordon & Search Operation) was started in the area.
Officials said that reinforcements have been rushed to the place to augment the strength of the security forces so that the terrorists responsible for the attack are traced.
Monday’s attack is the second major terror-related incident in Kathua district in the past 4 weeks.
Two terrorists and a CRPF jawan were killed in a gunfight during a search and cordon operation on June 12 and June 14 in the Hiranagar area of the district.
A major terror attack on innocent pilgrims occurred on June 9 in the Reasi district of Jammu division in which terrorists fired at a pilgrim bus returning from Shiv-Khori temple.
The terrorists killed the driver of the bus and kept firing at the bus after it fell into a gorge. Nine pilgrims were killed in that attack and 44 others were injured.
J&K DGP, R.R.Swain has said that a group of foreign terrorists is active in the hilly Poonch, Rajouri and adjacent districts who are taking advantage of the terrain and remoteness of the area.
Security forces have launched an aggressive campaign against the terrorists.
On July 6 and July 7, six terrorists and 2 soldiers were killed in two encounters between the holed-up terrorists in the Kulgam district of the Kashmir Valley.
Answer to terrorist attacks is strict action, says Rahul
Congress condemned the terror attack on Army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua, criticizing the Modi government’s handling of security in the Union Territory. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, emphasized that the response to ongoing terrorist attacks should be strict action, not “hollow speeches and false promises.”
The attack occurred when terrorists ambushed an army truck with a grenade and gunfire during a routine patrol on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road near Badnota village in Lohai Malhar, approximately 150 km from Kathua town. Five personnel, including a junior commissioned officer (JCO), were killed, and five others were injured.
Congress chief Kharge expressed deep anguish over the loss of soldiers, offering heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. He condemned the attack strongly and pointed out that this was the fifth terrorist incident in Jammu and Kashmir within a month, highlighting a deteriorating security situation.
Kharge criticized the Modi government, stating that “no amount of whitewashing, fake claims, hollow boasts, and chest-thumping can erase the fact that the government remains a disaster for national security in Jammu and Kashmir.” He added that prioritizing public relations over gathering security intelligence compromises safety.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also expressed their sorrow and solidarity with the victims and their families. Priyanka stressed that the nation stands united against terrorism and violence, condemning the attack as an anti-humanity act.