An army convoy was attacked by terrorists in the remote Machedi area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district. Five army personnel were killed and six others were injured in the incident on Monday when terrorists ambushed their vehicle, hurled a grenade and opened fire targeting Army vehicles on a routine patrol.
The incident occurred on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road at around 3.30 pm near Badnota village in Lohai Malhar, 150 km from Kathua town.
Security forces retaliated but the terrorists fled into the nearby forest, as per reports. Officials said that an intermittent exchange of firing was going on between the terrorists and security forces when the last reports were received. Reinforcements have been rushed to the area.
The troopers were in the vehicle which came under grenade attack and firing by the terrorists.
Defence Minister Rajanth Singh expressed his anguish at the loss of lives and said that the counter terror operations are underway.
In a post on X, Singh said: "I am deeply anguished at the loss of five of our brave Indian Army Soldiers in a terrorist attack in Badnota, Kathua (J&K). My deepest condolences to the bereaved families, the Nation stands firm with them in this difficult time. The Counter Terrorist operations are underway, and our soldiers are determined to usher in peace and order in the region. I pray for a speedy recovery to those who sustained injuries in this dastardly terror attack."
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed his condolences over the incident and said that the "cowardly attacks on our army are highly condemnable."
"These cowardly attacks on our army are highly condemnable. The fifth terrorist attack within a month is a grave blow to the security of the country and the lives of our soldiers. The solution to the relentless terror attacks will come from strong action, not from hollow speeches and false promises. The latest incident was the second major incident in Kathua district in the past four weeks. The attack comes a day after the Indian Army killed eight terrorists in Kulgam," Rahul Gandhi said.
The injured were shifted to a military hospital, where the condition of two of them was stated to be “critical”.
On June 12 and 13, two terrorists and a CRPF jawan were killed in a fierce gunfight during a search and cordon operation. The terror attack comes within a fortnight of a gunfight between terrorists and security forces in the Gandoh area of Doda district that left three foreign terrorists dead on June 26.
On June 9, terrorists struck a bus carrying pilgrims from the Shiv Khori temple in Reasi district, killing nine people, including the driver and the conductor of the vehicle, and injuring 41.
