Five Indian Army soldiers were killed while one other was injured during an encounter in Rajouri area of Jammu and Kashmir. Internet services have been suspended in the area.
Reportedly, the army was trying to flush out terrorists who were involved in ambush on an army truck in Jammu region's Bhata Dhurian area.
According to a spokesperson from the defense department, the army conducted a mission to eliminate terrorists who were accountable for the recent attack on five soldiers that resulted in their deaths.
During the operation, the terrorists used explosives in retaliation, resulting in the immediate death of two soldiers, and four others were wounded and transported to Command Hospital in Udhampur. Unfortunately, three of the four injured soldiers have since passed away due to their injuries.
Army statement
The army initiated the operation at Kesri Hill, located in the Kandi region of Rajouri district, following specific intelligence reports indicating the presence of a group of terrorists who had taken refuge in a cave.
The army claims that this group was involved in an assault on an army vehicle on April 20th in Bhata Dhurian, Poonch district, where five soldiers were killed, and the terrorists fled with the fallen soldiers' weapons.
"Indian Army columns have been conducting relentless intelligence-based operations to flush out a group of terrorists involved in an ambush on an army truck in the Tota Gali area of Bhata Dhurian in the Jammu region," the army spokesperson said.
He mentioned that extra troops from the nearby area have been instructed to proceed to the location of the confrontation.
As per the army's reports, it seems that a group of terrorists is trapped in the area, and there is a high likelihood of casualties among them. This occurrence seems to mirror a prior operation in October 2021 in the Rajouri-Poonch region where five soldiers were killed during an encounter with terrorists. Following the operation, four more army soldiers were killed in a terrorist ambush. Despite a month-long operation, no terrorists could be located. After the attack at Bhata Durian last month, a massive search operation has been ongoing, but with little success in finding the attackers.
The army has confirmed that the operation is ongoing, and further information is awaited.
