In a brazen assault on an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy in the JarraWaliGali (JWG) Shahsitar area of Poonch district, terrorists armed with US-made M4 rifles and AK-47s opened fire, resulting in the tragic death of one soldier and injuries to four others.
A senior Army officer, speaking anonymously, disclosed that initial investigations indicated the involvement of 3-4 LeT terrorists in the attack. These terrorists, believed to have been trained by LeT Commander SajadJeT in Pakistan, launched the ambush around 6:15 pm on Saturday as the convoy returned to the Air Force station from Jaranwali. The terrorists targeted one truck in the convoy, riddling it with over 20 bullets.
A massive search operation, spanning the forested areas between Surankote’sSanai Top and Mendhar’sGursai region, is underway to apprehend the perpetrators. While no contact has been established with the fleeing terrorists, six individuals from the Gursai region have been detained for questioning based on their proximity to the attack site.
Additional Indian Army forces promptly reached the JWG in Poonch late Saturday night to reinforce security efforts. The injured personnel were swiftly evacuated to the Command Hospital in Udhampur, where unfortunately, one of the airmen succumbed to injuries.
Following the attack, a local Rashtriya Rifles unit, with support from the Army and police, initiated cordon and search operations to locate the assailants. The IAF confirmed the incident via Twitter, asserting that the targeted convoy was secured, and investigations were ongoing.
The Army officer said that these six suspects were detained as their mobile’s phones network IDs were spotted in an adjacent area where the terrorist attack took place. They are all residents of Gursai region of SurankotePoonch, he said.
Presently, there are four CASO’s underway in Jammu region that includes Gulabgarh area of Poonch, Bani area of Kathua and two are underway in Poonch and Rajouri regions.
This incident marks the third terrorist attack in the PirPanjal region within the past two weeks, raising concerns over security in the area. With parliamentary elections approaching, security forces and police have intensified cordon and search operations to root out terrorists and their sympathizers.
On April 22, terrorists shot dead MohdRazaq, a Govt employee, in KundaShahdra area of Rajouri. As per Police investigation, a foreign Terrorist with code name ‘Abu Hamza’, was involved in this deadly attack.
On December 21, 2023 four soldiers were killed in a terror attack on their convoy on the Mughal Road between Dehra Ki Gali and Bufliaz in Poonch.
That ambush came weeks after a major gunfight in the Dharmsal belt of Bajimaal forest in Rajouri that left five Army personnel, including two captains, dead.
The PirPanjal region – Rajouri and Poonch – were free from terrorism since 2003 but major attacks have resumed since October 2021. In the last two years, 25 soldiers, including officers and commandos, have been killed.
