KATHUA/JAMMU, July 8: In a tragic ambush on Monday, five army personnel were martyred and six others injured when terrorists attacked their vehicles in the remote Machedi area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, officials confirmed.
The attack occurred around 3:30 pm near Badnota village on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road, approximately 150 km from Kathua town. Terrorists initiated the assault by hurling a grenade and opening fire on the army vehicles that were conducting routine patrols.
Security forces swiftly retaliated, prompting the terrorists to flee into nearby forests. As of the latest updates, intermittent firing exchanges were ongoing between the terrorists and security personnel. Reinforcements have been mobilized to neutralize the attackers, believed to have recently infiltrated from across the border and attempting to reach higher terrain.
“A total of 10 troopers were injured in the attack, out of which five succumbed to their injuries,” an official statement reported.
This incident marks the second major attack in Kathua district in the past four weeks. Previously, on June 12 and 13, two terrorists and a CRPF jawan were killed during a search and cordon operation in the area.
The surge in terrorist activities in Jammu has been attributed by authorities to efforts by Pakistani handlers to reignite terrorism and disrupt the region’s peaceful environment. Just within the past fortnight, a gunfight in the Gandoh area of Doda district resulted in the deaths of three foreign terrorists on June 26.
Earlier on June 9, terrorists targeted a bus carrying pilgrims from the Shiv Khori temple in Reasi district, killing nine people, including the driver and conductor, and injuring 41 others.
Security forces remain on high alert across Jammu and Kashmir as they intensify efforts to thwart terrorist activities and maintain peace in the region.