Terrorists ambush 2 Army vehicles in Poonch. Five soldiers attain martyrdom, 2 injured

GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL

SHYAM SOOD

=Two bodies found mutilated.
=12 soldiers, 7 civilians and 7 terrorists killed in Rajouri in 2023.
=January 1-Seven civilians killed in Dhangri terrorist attack.

RAJOURI, DECEMBER 21:–After eight months of gruesome ambush attack on Army vehicle at Tota Gali on NH144A on April 20- in which five soldiers had attained martyrdom-terrorists once again struck on Thursday in Poonch district and ambushed two vehicles of the Army in between DKG (Rajouri) and Bafliaz (Poonch) road near Sawani village in the afternoon on Thursday.
Five soldiers have attained martyrdom in the terror attack while 2 others were critically injured and were rescued to the nearby Army facility for initial treatment.
“At approximately 3.45 pm on December 21, two army vehicles carrying troops were moving to the operational site, which were fired upon by the terrorists. The fire was immediately retaliated immediately and in the ongoing operation, own troops sustained 4 fatal and 3 non-fatal casualties,” said PRO Defence Jammu.
One more soldier succumbs to critical injuries & the death toll is raised to four.
The martyrs have been identified as Naik Birendar Singh, Naik (driver)Karan Kumar, Rifleman Chandan Kumar & Guatam Kumar while the injured include Sandeep Kumar, Shyam Sunder Das & Todmal Dnyaneshwar Bhaskarrav.
Sources said at least 6 terrorists were involved in the gruesome attack on Army vehicles today.
The terrorists, who were in ambush, reportedly first hurled grenades on the vehicles and then opened indiscriminate fire which is evident from the damaged window panes of the Gypsy and truck, blood on the road, broken helmets of the soldiers.
Reports also said that before leaving the attack site, the terrorists had also decamped with weapons/ ammunition of a few soldiers.
Unconfirmed reports also said that two bodies of the soldiers were found headless.
The area where the terrorists ambushed the Army vehicles is densely forested.
Today’s attack on Army vehicles was also a grim reminder of a terrorist attack on the official vehicle of a Judicial Magistrate Rajouri in the month of December 2001.
District and Sessions Judge Rajouri, V K Phool resident of Poonch, a civilian and two bodyguards (cops) were killed in the attack.
It is pertinent to mention here that Army, J&K Police along with Central Para Military Forces have launched several cordon and search operations (CASOs) in the border district of Rajouri & Poonch to flush out terrorists operating in these districts.
In 2023, the terrorists killed 20 soldiers in four well planned and executed attacks in both the districts.
Five soldiers had attained martyrdom in an attack when terrorists ambushed army vehicle in April at Tata Gali (Mendher), five soldiers attained martyrdom when terrorists triggered an IED in Kandi Forest (Rajouri) when the troops were engaged in CASO, again 5 soldiers, including two Captains, attained martyrdom in Bajimal area of Kalakot in Rajouri district in the month of November.
Two hardcore terrorists, including the most wanted Pakistani national Qari, were also killed in this operation.
One soldier had attained martyrdom in an operation against terrorists in Narla village of Rajouri. One terrorist was also killed in this operation.
In 2021 in two separate terrorist attacks 9 soldiers, including JCOs, had attained martyrdom in DKG and Jaran Wali Gali areas.