Army foils terror attack in J&K’s in Rajouri, soldier, civilian injured
A soldier and a civilian injured in a terrorist attack in Rajouri. Army foiled the attack, 14th incident in Jammu region this year, with ongoing operations.
{Rajouri}
A soldier and a civilian were injured after a group of armed terrorists first targeted a village defence guard’s (VDG) house and then attempted to attack an army picket in a remote village of Rajouri district during wee hours on Monday.
“Around 3.10 am, a group of around six terrorists opened indiscriminate fire at the house of VDG Parshottam Kumar wounding his uncle Vijay Kumar besides killing a cattle in the house in Gundna Khawas village,” police officials said.
Subsequently, terrorists made an abortive bid to attack an army picket in the same area around 3.30 am. However, alert troops foiled the attack. “A soldier was injured in the exchange of fire,” the officials added.
The latest terror attack is the 14th incident in Jammu region, which has witnessed the deaths of 10 security personnel, nine pilgrims and 58 other injuries. Five terrorists have also been neutralised during the period. Notably, the VDG whose house was targeted was recently conferred with “Shaurya Chakra” by President Droupadi Murmu for his role in the killing a terrorist.
A cordon and search operation was launched to track down the terrorists, triggering gunfight, officials said.
“Terrorists attacked the house of a VDC (member) at Gundna, Rajouri at 03.10 hours. A nearby Army column reacted and a firefight ensued,” White Knight Corps said on X. “Operations are continuing,” it added.
The army acted on intelligence, anticipating the threat to a VDG in a remote area in Rajouri-Reasi. “Tactical teams swiftly intervened, ensuring no harm to the VDC member and his family,” it said.
The operations are continuing and the firefight is in progress, the Corps said.
The soldiers retaliated after the terrorists threw a grenade, following which they attacked a newly established Army picket in the area around 3.30 am, resulting in fire exchange, officials said.
Sharing further details, an army spokesperson said, “A major terror attack on an Army picket in a remote village of Rajouri was thwarted. Firing is underway and operation is in progress.”
A local, however, said the terrorists first attacked the house of a village defence guard Parshotam Kumar at 3.10 am in the village.
Thereafter, around 3.30 am, terrorists opened fire on a recently established army camp at Gundna Khawas where a soldier was injured in the exchange of fire.
Nagrota based 16 Corps in a post on ‘X’ said terrorists had attacked the house of a village defence guard at 3.10 am. The attack has triggered fear in the area due to the threat of the presence of the terrorists in the region.
“We are terrorised by the attack, which took place in the area after several years. It was a peaceful area. Firing started around 3 am and kept continuing,” a local woman said. Another villager added that it was time to rearm VDGs with modern weapons and communication technology to take on terrorists operating in the hills of Jammu.
Monday’s pre-dawn attack comes only days after Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday reviewed the prevailing security scenario at a joint security review meeting with Jammu and Kashmir Police, paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies here at the police headquarters.
The attack follows a similar incident when two army personnel were injured in a gunfight with terrorists in Doda district on Thursday. In Jaddan Bata village around 2 am terrorists fired on a temporary camp at a government school. One critically injured soldier was evacuated to the Udhampur command hospital by helicopter.
In a separate incident, security forces at a forward post near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district opened fire after spotting suspicious movement late Wednesday night. A search on Thursday morning found no evidence related to the suspicious activity, officials said.
Since the beginning of this year, 27 people, including 11 security personnel, a village defence guard and five terrorists, have been killed in nearly a dozen terror attacks in six districts of Jammu.
Four army personnel, including an officer, died from injuries sustained in a gunfight with heavily armed terrorists in Doda district on Tuesday.
The incident followed a terrorist ambush a week ago in Kathua district’s Machedi forest belt, which resulted in five soldiers’ deaths and injuries to five others.