Terrorists attack Army vehicles in Poonch, killing 5 soldiers and injuring 2

Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch area reported that on Thursday, two Army vehicles were ambushed by highly armed terrorists, resulting in the deaths of five soldiers and the injuries of two.

They reported that the bodies of two of the fallen troops were mutilated. At around 3:45 pm, the vehicles transporting the troops to the location of the cordon-and-search operation were ambushed at a blind curve on Dhatyar Morh, which is under the jurisdiction of the Surankote police station and lies between Dhera Ki Gali and Bufliaz.

Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mehbooba Mufti, two former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, strongly condemned the attack.

The ambush was claimed by the People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), an affiliate of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Jammu military PRO Lieutenant Colonel Suneel Bartwal said a combined search operation was initiated in Dhera Ki Gali in Thanamandi-Surankote on Wednesday night based on “hard intelligence” regarding terrorists presence.

As reinforcements were being brought to the scene, the ultras opened fire on the two Army vehicles, a truck and a Maruti Gipsy.

The soldiers retaliated immediately to the assault, according to a defence spokesperson.

Five soldiers have died and two have been injured in the continuing operation, officials stated.

The wounded have been brought into a medical facility.

The operation is ongoing, and more information is being gathered, according to the officials.

Horrifying photos and videos that surfaced from the scene showed blood on the road, soldiers' helmets smashed, and the two Army trucks' windscreens smashed.

During the intense confrontation, the officials have not ruled out the possibility that the soldiers engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the terrorists.

They claimed that the terrorists may have escaped with the weapons of the targeted soldiers.

As the operation proceeds, authorities are working hard to obtain more information and eliminate the threat presented by terrorists in the region.

The attack occurred a few weeks following a significant gunfight last month that claimed the lives of five Army soldiers, including two captains, in the Dharmsal belt of the Bajimaal forest area in the neighbouring Rajouri district.

In the two-day-long November confrontation, a senior LeT leader named Quari and one of his comrades were killed. Quari had planned many attacks, which resulted in the deaths of ten civilians and five Army officers.

On April 20, five troops were killed in an ambush on an Army vehicle along the heavily forested section between Dhera Ki Gali and Bufliaz, which lies on the boundary of Rajouri and Poonch districts.

In May, five more Army men were killed and a major-ranking officer was injured during an anti-terrorist operation in Chamrer forests. In the operation, a foreign terrorist was also killed.

Officials said that a spate of encounters in the districts of Rajouri, Poonch, and Reasi this year have resulted in 54 deaths, including 19 security personnel and 28 terrorists. They attributed the increase in violence to "desperate attempts from across the border" to resurrect terrorism in the area.

Thirteen terrorists and fourteen security personnel were killed in Rajouri, while fifteen terrorists and five security personnel died in Poonch. In Reasi, three terrorists were eliminated.

According to the officials, the majority of the terrorists were killed while trying to cross into India.

In October 2021, nine soldiers were killed in two separate terrorist attacks in the forested region. On October 14, three soldiers and a junior commissioned officer (JCO) were killed in a nearby forest, while five Army men, including a JCO, were killed in Chamrer on October 11.

Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman Azad took to X to condemn the heinous ambush that occurred on Thursday. He called the tragedy "devastating" and expressed his sincere sadness over the casualties.

“… terrorism hitting Jammu is alarming and we stand united against this menace. Urging the government to take swift and decisive action for the safety of all citizens. Praying for the swift recovery of the injured,” he said.

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Mufti, called the act "terrible."

She sent her sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the fallen servicemen and denounced the "dastardly attack."

Altaf Bukhari, the president of the Apni Party and a former minister for Jammu and Kashmir, expressed his sorrow at learning of the brave troops' deaths.

“May the departed souls be blessed with peace and the injured personnel see a swift recovery. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and at the same time urge the authorities to take enough measures to ensure long lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir,” he posted on X.