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 Kashmirās 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.
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.