At least five Army personnel killed, few injured in terrorist attack in J-K's Rajouri

Srinagar: Terrorists killed five soldiers during an encounter following search operations in forested Kandi of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. Army officials said militants were trapped in the area and may have been eliminated in retaliatory fire. The People's Anti-Fascist Front, an offshoot of Jaish-e-Muhammad, said its cadre killed the soldiers. The encounter continued till late night.

"On specific information about presence of terrorists in the Kandi Forest in Rajouri sector, a joint operation was launched on Wednesday," the Army said in a statement. Early on Friday morning, a search team "established contact with a group of terrorists well entrenched in a cave. The area is thickly vegetated with rocky and steep cliffs. The terrorists triggered an explosive device in retaliation," it said. Two soldiers died initially and four, including a Major, were injured and shifted to Udhampur command hospital. Later, the injured three soldiers died in hospital.

Five soldiers were killed and one injured in an ambush attack in Bhatta Dhurian area of Poonch on April 20. The attackers also decamped with the weapons of soldiers. Army had been carrying out "intelligence-based operations to flush out a group of terrorists" involved in the ambush since then.


Army and police officials said terror groups have been active in Jammu region, especially Poonch-Rajouri range along the Line of Control. In last two weeks, police and Army have questioned several locals in connection with the April 20 attack and on movement of militants in the Pir Panchal region.

Security forces have not been able to make any progress in the investigation on targeted killings of seven civilians in Dhangri area of Rajouri in the first week of January. Similarly, they haven't been able to nab or neutralise terrorists involved in the Poonch attack.

Nine soldiers were killed during search operations in October and November in Poonch-Rajouri range. The forces have not yet announced arrest or killing of any militants for these killings either. "It seems only one group of militants is active in the forests of Poonch-Rajouri and they have killed at least 33 people including 9 civilians and 24 soldiers since October 2021," a police officer said.