5 soldiers killed, one injured as terrorists ambush army truck in Poonch

At least five soldiers were killed and another injured after armed terrorists ambushed an army truck that was ferrying them between Bhimber Gali and Poonch in the Rajouri sector on Thursday afternoon around 3 pm, said officials.

Jammu-based defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said, “Today, at approximately 3 pm, one army vehicle, moving between Bhimber Gali and Poonch in the Rajouri sector was fired upon by unidentified terrorists while taking advantage of heavy rains and low visibility in the area. The vehicle caught fire due to likely use of grenades by terrorists”.

“Five personnel of the Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter terrorist operations, in this area, have unfortunately lost their lives in the incident,” added Col Anand.

“Another seriously injured soldier was evacuated immediately to the Army Hospital at Rajouri and is under treatment,” he added. The spokesperson informed that operations were in progress to locate the perpetrators. Further details are being ascertained.

The bodies of the soldiers have been shifted to a Garrison Hospital in Rajouri.

Intelligence sources confided to HT that the Sangiot area where the army truck was ambushed on Thursday afternoon amidst heavy rains has remained a traditional transit route for the Pakistani terrorists.

Of late, there were intelligence inputs of suspected movement of terrorists in the area, they added.

A local teacher, who insisted anonymity, said, “The area has dense forests and natural caves that provide them safe haven. The Jammu-Poonch highway passes through this area spread in around 30 km area from Bhimber Gali to Sangiot and Tota Gali.”

The disturbing videos of the incident showed the five soldiers were badly charred to death with one of them still burning while being rescued by the soldiers from the badly burnt army vehicle. One of the soldiers was probably hit on his head and face evident from excessive bleeding he had suffered. He was lying dead on the road by the vehicle.

The incident occurred while the vehicle was moving from Bhimber Gali to Sangiot in Poonch.

Soon after the incident, the Commander of the 13 sector Rashtriya Rifles and police officials rushed to the spot, which is 90 km from Poonch.

Locals, who were the first to reach the spot, informed the police.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh offered condolences to the families of the deceased tweeting that he was “anguished by the tragedy”.

Last year, at least four people were charred to death after a bus carrying pilgrims to the Vaishno Devi shrine caught fire near Katra in Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir. As many as 22 others were injured. A letter purportedly issued by an unknown terror outfit ‘Jammu and Kashmir Freedom Fighters’ later claimed responsibility for the fire, which it said was an ‘IED blast’ triggered by one of its ‘special squads’.

Meanwhile, police have suspended traffic movement from Bhimber Gali to Surankote following the terror attack.

“In wake of some incident in Bhatta Dhuriyaan, traffic will remain suspended from BG to Surankote Road. All commuters are advised to adopt the alternative routes, that is, from BG- Mendhar-Jarran Wali Gali to Surankote-Poonch or via KG Top to Poonch,” read a statement issued here.

In October 2021 at least nine army personnel, including two JCOs, were killed by terrorists in the Chamrer area of Surankote and Narkhas forest in the same area.

Five army personnel, including a JCO, were killed on October 11 in Chamrer and a JCO besides three soldiers were killed on October 14 in Narkhas forest.

Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha has expressed grief over the killings of five soldiers.

“I am deeply anguished by the loss of lives of brave Army personnel in a tragic incident at Poonch. Their rich service to the nation will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with the bereaved families,” he wrote on his Twitter handle.

Meanwhile, People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), an offshoot of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror outfit claimed the responsibility of the attack.

Tagging a tweet of defence minister Rajnath Singh wherein he expressed anguish over the tragedy, PAFF wrote, “You know very well how the truck “caught” fire. Lightning it sure was, only it didn’t strike from the sky”.

The PAFF also released a video that says, “#PoonchLightningStrikes #PAFF lightning #G20 Welcome”.