Four soldiers killed in ambush by terrorists in J&K’s Poonch

Srinagar: Four soldiers were killed and three others were injured after terrorists ambushed two army vehicles passing through Dera Ki Gali in border Rajouri-Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

Reports said that the army had been conducting an operation in and around Dera Ki Gali, also known as DKG area, since Thursday night. 

As two vehicles, including a gypsy and a mini truck, were reportedly on their way from Bufliaz in Surankote to Thanamandi in Rajouri, terrorists had laid an ambush and fired upon them indiscriminately at around 3:45 pm, injuring at least seven soldiers, sources said.

Four soldiers died while being shifted to the hospital. They were identified as B Singh, K Kumar, C Kumar and G Kumar while the injured are Sundeep Kumar, S S Dass, and T D Bhaskarrav. However, the army confirmed three fatalities and injuries to as many men.

“An operation was being conducted in general area DKG (Dera ki Gali), Thanamandi, Rajouri, since the night of December 20, 2023,” a defence ministry spokesperson based in Jammu said in a statement.

“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 terrorist. The fire was immediately retaliated upon by own troops. In the ongoing operation, own troops sustained 3 fatal and 3 non-fatal casualties,” he added.

The area has been cordoned off by the army and reinforcements have been sent to neutralise the attackers, reports said. The stretch between Dhera Ki Gali and Bufliaz, the site of the attack on Thursday, is densely forested and leads to Chamrer and Bhata Dhurian forests, where five soldiers were killed in an ambush on an army vehicle on April 20 this year.

Since 2021, the Rajouri-Poonch region has become a hub for terrorist activities and has seen major attacks on the army. In a similar incident last month, five soldiers, including two captains, were killed in a two-day anti-terror operation in Rajouri's Kalakote.

10 soldiers were killed in twin attacks in the region in April and May this year. Last month Northern Army Commander Lt General Upendra Dwivedi said that at least 20 to 25 terrorists were operating in Rajouri-Poonch area, also known as Pir Panjal region.

He said that it will take the army at least a year to root out terrorism from the region, which has emerged as new hotspots of militancy with 50 people, including 24 terrorists, 19 security personnel and seven civilians killed this year.

A senior police officer told DH that a mix of local recruits and battle-hardened mercenaries have honed their skills in guerrilla warfare and are exploiting the challenging topography in the region to their advantage.

“The security forces face an enemy deeply rooted in the terrain, an enemy that knows the land as intimately as the trees themselves. The dense forests have become their fortress, concealing both their presence and their deadly intent,” he revealed.