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NEW DELHI: Bloodstains on the road and helmets, bullet shells, vehicles with shattered windscreens, and flattened tyres… The aftermath of Monday’s ambush by terrorists on an Army patrol was starkly visible on a wooded mountain road on Tuesday. The fierce resistance by troops and a prolonged gunbattle were evident from the scene near Badnota village, approximately 150 km from Kathua district headquarters.
The ambush, which occurred around 3:30 pm on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar mountainous road, left five Army personnel dead and five injured when heavily armed terrorists hurled a grenade and opened fire on two army vehicles. This incident marked the fifth terror attack in Jammu within a month, an alarming escalation in the region which has been relatively peaceful compared to the Kashmir Valley. Officials attributed the surge in violence to attempts by Pakistani handlers to reignite terrorism.
Despite facing heavy casualties, the soldiers displayed remarkable courage and resilience. Engaging the terrorists for several hours, the troops fought back against the attackers, who are believed to have taken cover in the thick foliage on a hill. The terrorists, likely a group of three, managed to disappear into the dense woods after a prolonged exchange of gunfire.
The search for the terrorists, which had been suspended late Monday due to heavy rain, resumed on Tuesday. Joint search parties of the Army, police, and CRPF were deployed from various directions, including Kathua, Udhampur, and Doda. The Army’s elite para-commandos, sniffer dogs, drones, and helicopters were also mobilized for the operation.
The scene of the ambush bore the telltale signs of violence. Two army vehicles, parked about 300 meters apart, showed evidence of a sudden attack as they were likely negotiating a turn on the road. Villagers played a crucial role in the aftermath, joining rescue efforts to evacuate the casualties. Anti-Pakistan protests erupted in several areas as agitated villagers condemned the terror attack.
“A civil bus passed the road about 10 minutes before the attack. We heard a loud explosion and initially took it as a tyre burst but the subsequent heavy firing made us realise that an encounter had started,” said Puran Chand Sharma, a villager who runs a shop nearby as quoted by. The heavy firing continued till 5 pm, followed by intermittent gunfire for another hour.
“About 12 villagers were at my shop. We hid ourselves inside to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. After the firing stopped, we rushed to help evacuate the casualties,” he added.
Vijay Kumar, another local resident, noted that this was the first terror incident in the village since cross-border terrorism broke out in Jammu and Kashmir over three decades ago. “We have not noticed any movement of terrorists in our area having over 100 families,” he said, speculating that the terrorists might have arrived in the bus that had passed by shortly before the attack.
Kathua Senior Superintendent of Police Anayat Ali Choudhary, who reached the spot hours after the incident, is camping at Lawang-Machedi along with other officers to supervise the anti-terrorist operation. “Efforts are on to track down and neutralise the terrorists. The joint search parties have fanned out from all sides and it is a matter of investigation how the terrorists reached the area,” a police official stated.
Director General of Police R R Swain is personally overseeing the anti-terrorist operation in the dense forest area, which connects to Basantgarh in Udhampur district, a region that has seen several encounters in the past. On April 28, a village defence guard was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Panara village of Basantgarh. Officials believe this route could be used by terrorists to reach the hinterland after infiltrating from across the border.
The Jammu region has been shaken by a series of recent ambushes and terror attacks, particularly in the border districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, and Reasi. On June 9, terrorists attacked a bus carrying pilgrims from the Shiv Khori temple in Reasi district, killing nine and injuring 41. Earlier in May, terrorists ambushed an Indian Air Force convoy in Poonch district, killing a soldier and injuring several others.
The shadow outfit Kashmir Tigers, associated with the banned Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), has claimed responsibility for this latest attack.
The ambush, which occurred around 3:30 pm on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar mountainous road, left five Army personnel dead and five injured when heavily armed terrorists hurled a grenade and opened fire on two army vehicles. This incident marked the fifth terror attack in Jammu within a month, an alarming escalation in the region which has been relatively peaceful compared to the Kashmir Valley. Officials attributed the surge in violence to attempts by Pakistani handlers to reignite terrorism.
Despite facing heavy casualties, the soldiers displayed remarkable courage and resilience. Engaging the terrorists for several hours, the troops fought back against the attackers, who are believed to have taken cover in the thick foliage on a hill. The terrorists, likely a group of three, managed to disappear into the dense woods after a prolonged exchange of gunfire.
The search for the terrorists, which had been suspended late Monday due to heavy rain, resumed on Tuesday. Joint search parties of the Army, police, and CRPF were deployed from various directions, including Kathua, Udhampur, and Doda. The Army’s elite para-commandos, sniffer dogs, drones, and helicopters were also mobilized for the operation.
The scene of the ambush bore the telltale signs of violence. Two army vehicles, parked about 300 meters apart, showed evidence of a sudden attack as they were likely negotiating a turn on the road. Villagers played a crucial role in the aftermath, joining rescue efforts to evacuate the casualties. Anti-Pakistan protests erupted in several areas as agitated villagers condemned the terror attack.
“A civil bus passed the road about 10 minutes before the attack. We heard a loud explosion and initially took it as a tyre burst but the subsequent heavy firing made us realise that an encounter had started,” said Puran Chand Sharma, a villager who runs a shop nearby as quoted by. The heavy firing continued till 5 pm, followed by intermittent gunfire for another hour.
“About 12 villagers were at my shop. We hid ourselves inside to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. After the firing stopped, we rushed to help evacuate the casualties,” he added.
Vijay Kumar, another local resident, noted that this was the first terror incident in the village since cross-border terrorism broke out in Jammu and Kashmir over three decades ago. “We have not noticed any movement of terrorists in our area having over 100 families,” he said, speculating that the terrorists might have arrived in the bus that had passed by shortly before the attack.
Kathua Senior Superintendent of Police Anayat Ali Choudhary, who reached the spot hours after the incident, is camping at Lawang-Machedi along with other officers to supervise the anti-terrorist operation. “Efforts are on to track down and neutralise the terrorists. The joint search parties have fanned out from all sides and it is a matter of investigation how the terrorists reached the area,” a police official stated.
Director General of Police R R Swain is personally overseeing the anti-terrorist operation in the dense forest area, which connects to Basantgarh in Udhampur district, a region that has seen several encounters in the past. On April 28, a village defence guard was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Panara village of Basantgarh. Officials believe this route could be used by terrorists to reach the hinterland after infiltrating from across the border.
The Jammu region has been shaken by a series of recent ambushes and terror attacks, particularly in the border districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, and Reasi. On June 9, terrorists attacked a bus carrying pilgrims from the Shiv Khori temple in Reasi district, killing nine and injuring 41. Earlier in May, terrorists ambushed an Indian Air Force convoy in Poonch district, killing a soldier and injuring several others.
The shadow outfit Kashmir Tigers, associated with the banned Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), has claimed responsibility for this latest attack.
