STATE TIMES NEWS
Rajouri/Jammu: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday reviewed the security situation along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir as he visited the district of Rajouri, a day after five elite para commandos of the army were martyred during an anti-terrorist operation in the forested Kandi area of the district.
Singh condoled the deaths of the personnel and commended the securitymen for their valour and zeal while operating in challenging situations.
Suspected Dangri terror attacker killed
Rajouri: A terrorist said to be part of the group that attacked civilians at Dhangri village earlier this year was killed during an operation on Saturday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited an army base and took stock of the overall security situation, officials said. Another terrorist was believed to be injured in the early morning encounter in the Kesari hill of the forested Kandi area during ‘Operation Trinetra’ which was launched a day after five army personnel were martyred and a major-rank officer injured when ultras triggered a blast targeting a search party in Kandi forest.
“In the ongoing joint operation in Kandi forest, Rajouri sector, by Indian Army in coordination with Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF, at around 7 am, the cordon, while closing in, spotted and pinned down the terrorists.
“In the ensuing gunbattle one terrorist has been neutralised and one terrorist is likely to be injured,” Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said.
He said an AK-56 rifle, four magazines, 56 bullets, one 9-mm pistol, its three magazines and three grenades were seized from the slain terrorist whose identity and group affiliation were not known immediately.
The People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a shadow organisation of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, has claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack.
Officials said the search operation was extended to nearby areas with fresh reinforcements from the army and police moving in to block the escape routes. However, there was no fresh contact with the fleeing terrorist.
Despite inclement weather, the operation is on, the officials said, adding the body of the slain terrorist was removed from the scene and his postmortem was also conducted.
The officials said some people from Bathuni village, who were called for identification of the slain terrorist, said he was part of the group that was active in the area and believed to be behind the Dhangri attack on January 1, that left seven civilians dead and several others injured.
The minister’s visit also assumes significance as terrorists have martyred 35 people, including 26 soldiers, in eight attacks in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch since October 2021. The two districts were declared terrorism-free more than a decade ago.
“Visited the Army Base Camp in Rajouri, J&K today. Reviewed the operational capabilities and security situation along the border. Also, interacted with the brave soldiers of the Indian Army. India salutes their devotion towards protecting our motherland,” he wrote on his Twitter account.
In another post in response to a tweet by the Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI)-Indian Army paying tributes to the martyred soldiers, Singh said, “I pay homage to these brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in service to the nation. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief.”
Five army personnel were martyred and a major-rank officer was injured during a combing operation — Operation Trinetra — in the Kandi area on Friday. A holed up terrorist was killed and one more is believed to be injured Saturday morning.
Officials said the army chief reached Jammu from Delhi ahead of the defence minister, who followed him minutes later. Lt Governor also joined senior civil and army officers to receive the defence minister.
Northern Army commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Corps commander White Knight Corps, and Divisional Commissioner, Jammu also accompanied Rajnath to Rajouri, they said.
After getting a brief on the operation in Kandi forest, the defence minister chaired a high-level security meeting to review the overall security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in Rajouri and Poonch before returning to Jammu, they said.
“H’ble Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh accompanied by the H’ble Lt Governor Shri Manoj Sinha & Gen Manoj Pandey #COAS, reviewed the security situation & ongoing counter terrorism operations in #Rajouri,” ADGPI tweeted.
In another tweet, it said the Raksha Mantri paid condolences to the #Bravehearts & interacted with troops. He commended them for their valour & zeal, while operating in challenging situations.
“He (defence minister) said the Nation feels ‘secure’ due to the eternal vigil & sacrifices by Army in hard & difficult areas,” it added.
Earlier in the day, Lt Gen Dwivedi visited the encounter site and was briefed on the developments in the ongoing Operation Trinetra by ground commanders.
The loss of five jawans in Kandi forest is the third major incident this year. It took place at a time when the forces had been engaged in a massive combing operation for the past 15 days following an ambush on an army truck in Bhata Dhurian (Poonch).
Five soldiers were martyred and another was injured on April 20 when an army truck carrying fruits and vegetables for Iftar was bombed and strafed with bullets by terrorists.
More than 250 people were detained for questioning during combing operations in the wake of the incident. Six overground workers who extended full support to terrorists were arrested, they said.
According to military officials, terrorists now have adopted a strategy of engaging troops or attacking people, and then laying improvised explosive devices to harm security forces engaged in combing operations.
This also happened in Dhangri village in Rajouri where terrorists killed seven civilians in two attacks that came close on the heels of each other on January 1 this year.
In two major incidents in Rajouri in 2022, five army personnel martyred and two terrorists were killed in a suicide attack at a security camp at Pargal-Darhal on August 11, while two civilians were killed in a firing incident outside an army camp near Rajouri town.
Four blasts rocked Kotranka in Rajouri district between March and April last year. All these cases were worked out by police with the arrest of the accused.
Nine army personnel were martyred in two separate encounters with terrorists in Bhatta Durrian in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch districts in October 2021.
Two army personnel, one of them a lieutenant, were martyred in a mine blast in Nowshera sector of Rajouri on October 30, 2021. Rajouri and Poonch districts have witnessed more martyrdom of army personnel than the terrorism-hit Kashmir Valley.