Update: One more jawan has succumbed to his injuries. Total death toll in Kathua terror attack rises to 5. Counter terrorist operations still going on in the area.
Four Indian Army personnel were killed in action and six others were injured in a terrorist ambush on Monday in the remote Machedi area of Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir. The attack occurred around 3:30 pm when the army vehicle, part of a routine patrol along the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road near Badnota village, was targeted with grenades and gunfire by terrorists.
According to officials, the security forces engaged in retaliation, but the attackers managed to flee into the nearby forests. An intermittent exchange of fire continued as reinforcements were deployed to the area to pursue the terrorists, who are believed to have recently infiltrated from across the border.
This incident marks the second major attack in Kathua district within the last four weeks, following a confrontation on June 12 and 13 that resulted in the deaths of two terrorists and a CRPF jawan. Additionally, this attack follows closely on the heels of a June 26 encounter in Doda district’s Gandoh area, which left three foreign terrorists dead.
The recent spike in terrorist activities in Jammu has been attributed to efforts by Pakistani handlers to revive terrorism in the region and disrupt its peace. This includes a June 9 attack on a bus carrying pilgrims from the Shiv Khori temple in Reasi district, which resulted in nine deaths and 41 injuries. The escalating violence has raised concerns about security in the region, prompting increased military and police actions to neutralize the threat.
