JAMMU, July 8: Terrorists struck again in Jammu today, second time in Kathua district and sixth time in the region in a month, targeting an Army truck carrying 10 soldiers at hilly village of Badnota on Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road in Billawar area at 3.30 PM in which five Army soldiers were martyred and an equal number of them were injured while the terrorists believed to be three in numbers managed to escape but massive searches in the forests have been launched to eliminate them.Like previous attacks in Poonch, the terrorists had taken positions atop a hill and targeted the Army vehicle at kucha and mud-filled road where speed of the vehicle had slowed down at village Badnota in Machedi area near Lohai Malhar, about 65 kilometers from Billawar in Kathua district. They first lobbed grenades causing injuries to the soldiers and then opened firing with automatic weapons. Like Teryath, Reasi terror attack, they targeted driver of the truck first.Troops carry out regular patrolling in the area and the truck was also part of today’s patrol.
There were 10 Army soldiers on board the Army truck and all of them were injured. They retaliated but the terrorists had taken positions atop the hills. After about 10 to 15 minutes of gun battle, the terrorists managed to escape.The bravehearts who sacrificed their lives for the nation have been identified as JCO Naib Subedar Anant Singh, Head Constable Jamal Singh, Rifleman Anuj Singh, Rifleman Asarsh Singh and Naik Vinod Kumar while the injured include Head Constables Arvind Singh, Sujhan Singh and Gagandeep Singh, Rifleman Kartik and Naik Sagar Singh.
Heavy rains in the entire area badly hampered the search operations though reinforcement of Army, police and paramilitary forces had reached the spot. Elite para-commandos of the Army have also been airlifted to the area to track down the terrorists in the forest areas, the officials told“Five Army soldiers have attained martyrdom while five others were injured,” they said, adding that bodies of the martyrs and injured have been airlifted to Pathankot from Sub District Hospital in Billawar. Wreath laying ceremony is scheduled to be held at Pathankot tomorrow before shifting the bodies to native towns of the martyrs with full military honours.
A matador and a Sumo crossed the road at Badnota seconds before the attack. However, as the Army vehicle reached the spot, the terrorists who had taken positions atop the hills lobbed grenades and opened firing taking the troops by surprise as the area is peaceful and no such attack has taken place there. The Army soldiers fired back.
Number of the terrorists, like all such previous ambushes in the region, was stated to be three plus one guide. All of them were foreign terrorists, mostly from Pakistan and cadre of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) or Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) while the guide was local and well-versed with the forest routes. Some of the terrorists could be the Pakistan army personnel or well trained by the Pakistan army. They were equipped with M4 Carbines and other sophisticated weapons and explosive devices.
Sources anticipate the involvement of terrorists active in Basantgarh forests of Udhampur district behind today’s terror attack at Badnota as these forests are inter-connected with only 14-15 kilometers apart. At the peak of militancy in nineties, Machedi forests were used by the terrorists after infiltration from Kathua border to reach Basantgarh and Bhaderwah. However, the possibility of a fresh infiltrated group carrying out the attack and then escaping towards Basantgarh along with he guide is also not ruled out.
Former Sarpanch Karam Din said because of the waterfall the kucha road remained filled with mud and speed of all vehicles is slowed down at the road where the terrorists struck from atop the hills.
Moreover, dense fog in the mountains this morning had also reduced visibility in the area. Fog disappeared only after heavy rains started in the belt, hampering the search operations.
As per the sources, the terrorists could have been present in the area for past at least two days and conducted recee before taking positions in the hills. A guide reportedly assisted the terrorists in reaching the Machedi forests, identification of the target area, providing them with food and shelter and then taking them back to their hideout.
As the terrorists in almost all ambushes of Army and private vehicles have used same techniques, it appeared that all of them are well connected and supported by well-knit groups of OGWs or guides who have been taking them to the mountains where they can monitor movement of the vehicles from a distance and where the roads are kuchas leading to speed of vehicles coming down to minimum.
This was the second terror attack in Kathua district and sixth in Jammu region in past one month. On June 8, the terrorists targeted a pilgrims’ bus at Teryath, Reasi killing nine civilians, seven of them pilgrims, while on June 11 and 12, two terrorists and a CRPF jawan were killed at Hiranagar in Kathua district. On June 12 and 13, seven security personnel were injured in two terror incidents in Doda. Yesterday, a Sentry was injured in firing by the terrorists at Manjakote, Rajouri. The attack was repulsed by the troops. However, Army and police killed three terrorists in Doda on June 26.
Locals of Badnota said the reports had been pouring in about movement of the terrorists and wondered how the terrorists struck freely on the Army vehicle and then managed to escape so easily. They said security forces and police especially the Intelligence network should be strengthened to track down the terrorists in the forests.
Kashmir Tigers, a shadow terrorist outfit of Jaish-e-Mohammed has taken responsibility for the attack.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State in the PMO Dr Jitendra Singh said he is in constant touch with the authorities over the attack.
“My heart goes out to the braveheart soldiers martyred in the ongoing Kathua encounter. I am in constant touch with the authorities. Joint police and paramilitary personnel is on. My sincere appeal to the civilian population not to panic. We have full faith in our armed forces and we are always indebted to them,” Dr Jitendra Singh, who represented Kathua-Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat, wrote on X.* July 7, 2024: An Army Sentry was injured as terrorists targeted an Army post at Manjakote in Rajouri district.
* June 26, 2024: 3 Pakistani terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit eliminated by security forces at Gandoh, Doda.
* June 12, 2024: Cop injured in encounter at Gandoh, Doda.
* June 11, 2024: 6 security personnel wounded as terrorists target Army and police joint post at Chattergalla, Doda.
* June 11 and 12, 2024: Two terrorists and CRPF jawan killed and a civilian injured in a gun battle at Hiranagar in Kathua district.
* June 9, 2024: Nine civilians, seven of them pilgrims killed and 41 others injured in terror attack at Teryath, Reasi.
* May 4, 2024: An IAF soldier was martyred and six others were injured when terrorists ambushed their vehicle at Surankote in Poonch district.
* April 28, 2024: A Village Defence Guard (VDG) was martyred in a terror attack at Basantgarh in Udhampur district. Terrorists escaped.
* April 22, 2024: A Social Welfare Department (SWD) official was killed by the terrorists. His brother, a Territorial Army jawan, who was the target, survived, at Shahdara Sharief in Rajouri district.
* December 21, 2023: Five Army soldiers were martyred and two others were injured in a terror attack at Dera Ki Gali, Surankote in Poonch district. Next day, four civilians under detention were killed.
* November 22, 2023: Two Captains were among 5 soldiers who attained martyrdom while two foreign terrorists were killed in two-day-long gun battle at Bajimaal in Dharamshal area of Kalakote tehsil in Rajouri district.
* May 5, 2023: Five Army para-commandos martyred and Major injured in an IED blast at Kandi, Rajouri.
* July 18, 2023: Four dreaded Pakistani terrorists were killed by Army at Sindhara Top in Surankote tehsil of Poonch.
* April 20, 2023: Five Army bravehearts sacrificed their lives at Bhatta Durrian in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district.
* January 1, 2023: Seven civilians of minority community, two of them minors, were killed in firing and IED blast triggered by two foreign terrorists at village Dhangri in Rajouri district.
* August 11, 2022: Five Army jawans were killed and two fidayeens were eliminated during attack on an Army camp at Pargal in Darhal area of Rajouri.
* December 18, 2022: Two civilians were killed in a militant attack outside Alpha Gate in Rajouri.
* Mar-Apr 2022: Four blasts rocked Koteranka tehsil in Rajouri district within a span of 28 days targeting police, labourers, marriage house etc but causing very little damage. All the blasts were later worked out by the police.
* October 11, 2021: Five Army soldiers including a JCO lost their lives in an encounter with militants at Chamrer forests in Surankote.
* October 16, 2021: Four more soldiers including another JCO lost their lives in gun battle with same group of militants at Bhatta Durrian in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch.
* October 30, 2021: Two Army jawans including a Lieutenant became victims to a mine blast in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.
