After five soldiers were martyred and two others were injured in an ambush on two army vehicles by armed terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Thursday, security forces on Friday imposed a massive cordon in the forest area of the area. And started the search operation.
Officials said Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 16th Corps, visited the area and reviewed the situation with top Army and police officials. “The Indian Army and the White Knight Corps salute the bravery and supreme sacrifice of the soldiers while fighting the menace of terrorism in Surankote yesterday,” the ‘White Knight Corps’ or ’16th Corps’ wrote on the social media platform ‘X’.
An officer said that aerial surveillance of the area is also being done and dog squad has also been deployed to trace the terrorists. “After a night siege in the area, a massive cordon and search operation has begun this morning,” an official told PTI.
He told that the campaign is still going on. He said additional security forces have also been deployed in the area to trace the terrorists involved in the firing. Officials said that on Thursday, vehicles carrying army personnel to the site of a cordon and search operation were attacked at around 4.45 pm at Dhatyar turn between Dhera Ki Gali and Bufliaz in Surankot police station area.
He informed that Dhera Ki Gali (DKG) Road has been closed for traffic. Top officials of the army and police are keeping an eye on the ground situation. It is believed that three to four terrorists chose this area to target army vehicles from the mountains.
Officials said that after the attack, the terrorists allegedly mutilated the bodies of at least two soldiers and looted the weapons of some of them. Defense experts said on Friday that the increase in terrorist incidents in Rajouri-Poonch region is worrying.
Defense expert Colonel S. S Pathania said, “This is a matter of concern. This is the second incident in the last two months. This area was peaceful till recently. During the last two years, 35 soldiers have been martyred here. Why is this happening? Why has the morale of terrorists increased so much?” Protests were held against Pakistan in Jammu in protest against the terrorist incident.