Terrorists attack Army camp in J-K’s Rajouri, forces launch massive operation

Security forces launched a massive search operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district after terrorists fired at Indian Army’s new camp in Gundha Khawas area of Jammu Kashmir’s Rajouri early Monday morning. However, alert Security forces foiled the terrorists’ attempt and a gun-battle was underway.

“A major terror attack on an Army picket in remote village of Rajouri has been thwarted,” defence spokesperson Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said. The spokesperson added that firing is underway and the operation is in progress.

One soldier is reportedly injured, but officials have not yet confirmed this.

Terrorists attacked house of VDC member first

Terrorists attacked the house of a Village Defence Guard (VDC) member in Gundha, Rajouri, at 3:10 am on Monday. A nearby Army unit responded, leading to a firefight. Operations are ongoing, White Knight Corps said in a post on ‘X’.

VDG Parshottam Kumar, recently honoured with the Shaurya Chakra by President Droupadi Murmu, was targeted in the initial attack on his house. His uncle, Vijay Kumar, was injured, and a cattle was killed in the terrorists’ gunfire.

This comes only days after Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday reviewed the prevailing security scenario at a joint security review meeting with Jammu and Kashmir Police, paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies here at the police headquarters.

The attack follows similar incident when two Army personnel were injured in a gunfight with terrorists in Doda district on Thursday. In Jaddan Bata village around 2am terrorists fired on a temporary camp at a government school. One critically injured soldier was evacuated to the Udhampur command hospital by helicopter.

In a separate incident, security forces at a forward post near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district opened fire after spotting suspicious movement late Wednesday night. A search on Thursday morning found no evidence related to the suspicious activity, officials said.

Spike in terror activities in Jammu

Since the beginning of this year, 27 people, including 11 security personnel, a village defence guard and five terrorists, have been killed in nearly a dozen terror attacks in six districts of the Jammu.

Four army personnel, including an officer, died from injuries sustained in a gunfight with heavily armed terrorists in Doda district on Tuesday.

The incident followed a terrorist ambush a week ago in Kathua district’s Machedi forest belt, which resulted in five soldiers’ deaths and injuries to five others.