J&K: 5 soldiers killed in Poonch ambush; LeT offshoot claims responsibility

The death toll in Thursday's ambush attack on two Army vehicles in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district has reached five. The incident happened amidst an anti-terrorist operation in the Dera Ki Gali area of Thanamandi.

Two other soldiers were injured and have been admitted to a hospital. The bodies of the slain soldiers were mutilated, Army officials said.

The attack happened on Thursday around 3:45 pm when two Army vehicles carrying troops to the operation site were ambushed by terrorists in Dera Ki Gali, also known as DKG. The Army vehicles were carrying soldiers to the site of a cordon-and-search operation.

"An operation was being conducted in the general area DKG (Dera ki Gali), Thanamandi, Rajouri, since the night of 20 December 23. At approximately 3:45 PM on 21 December, two Army vehicles carrying troops were moving to the operational site, which were fired upon by the terrorists. The fire was immediately retaliated upon by own troops," the Army said in a statement. 

Jammu-based defence PRO Lieutenant Colonel Suneel Bartwal said a joint search operation was launched in the general area of DKG based on "hard intelligence" about the presence of terrorists. As additional forces were moving to the site, the ultras fired upon the Army vehicles -- a truck and a Maruti Gypsy.

"The troops swiftly responded to the attack," the defence spokesperson said. The officials have also not ruled out the possibility of the soldiers engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the terrorists during the intense confrontation.

Images from the site showed blood on the street, broken helmets of soldiers and shattered windscreens of the two Army vehicles. Army officials said the operation was progressing late into the night. They said the terrorists could have walked away with the arms of the targeted soldiers.

The People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the ambush.

This is the second major attack on the Army in Jammu and Kashmir in less than a month. On November 22, two Army captains, a JCO and a soldier were killed, while a Major was injured in an encounter with militants at Bajimaal forests in Rajouri. The incident happened after the special forces had gone to the forests to evacuate Captain Pranjal who was injured during a firefight with terrorists. 

The militants use the Pir Pranjal mountain range that separates Rajouri and Poonch to move between the two regions and stage attacks on security forces.

In 2023, Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi districts witnessed a series of encounters that have left 54 people, including 19 security personnel and 28 terrorists, dead. According to the officials, the sudden uptick in violence hints at desperate attempts from across the border to revive terrorism in the region. 

Mehbooba Mufti, Azad
condemn the attack

Two former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir -- Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mehbooba Mufti -- strongly condemned the attack.

Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman Azad took to X to term the incident "devastating" and said the casualties are deeply saddening. "... terrorism hitting Jammu is alarming and we stand united against this menace. Urging the government to take swift and decisive action for the safety of all citizens. Praying for the swift recovery of the injured," he said.

Mufti, who heads the People's Democratic Party (PDP), described the incident as "terrible". She condemned the "dastardly attack" and expressed her deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the slain soldiers.