Rajouri, May 05, 2023: Five Army jawans lost their lives in an explosion during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Friday. A joint operation is underway to flush out the terrorists suspected to be involved in the Poonch terror attack.
Sticky bombs and steel bullets were used in a terror attack last month in which five Army jawans were killed in Poonch. A massive cordon and search operation, backed by drones, metal detectors and sniffer dogs was launched to flush out the terrorists. And now, the operation has now spread to 12 areas across the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri.
On Friday, based on specific information about the presence of terrorists in Kandi Forest in Rajouri, an operation was launched at around 7:30 am to flush out terrorists involved in ambush on an army truck in Tota Gali area, the Army said in a statement.
A search team soon established contact with a group of terrorists well entrenched in a cave. But the terrorists triggered an explosive device in retaliation.
Two soldiers died on the spot and several others sustained serious injuries. The Army in its latest statement said three injured soldiers died in a hospital, taking the toll to five.
A group of terrorists are trapped in the area which is thickly vegetated with rocky and steep cliffs. There is a likelihood of casualties in the terrorists’ group. The operation is still in progress.
On Thursday, two terrorists were killed in a gunbattle in Baramulla district. Police said incriminating materials, arms and ammunition, including an AK 47 rifle and one pistol were recovered.
According to police, two terrorists killed were local and belonged to the proscribed terror outfit LeT. They were identified as Shakir Majid Najar and Hanan Ahmad Seh from Shopian district.
"Both were local terrorists, who belonged to the proscribed terror outfit LeT, and were identified as Shakir Majid Najar and Hanan Ahmad Seh from Shopian district. Both joined terrorism in March 2023. Further investigation is going on," police said in a statement.
On Wednesday, two terrorists were killed after an infiltration bid was foiled by Jammu and Kashmir Police and Indian Army near Pichnad Machil sector in Kupwara.
Srinagar-based defence spokesperson Colonel Emron Musavi, said that based on specific intelligence input provided by Senior Superintendent of Police, Kupwara, about likely infiltration from one of the terrorist launch pads across the LoC towards Machil sector, troops were put on high alert on Monday.
"A well-coordinated counter-infiltration grid was put in place in this rugged and extremely difficult area. A number of additional ambushes, including those of the Indian Army and SOG (Special Operations Group), Kupwara, were placed along the likely routes of infiltration," he told PTI.
Courtesy: India Today