An Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy was ambushed by terrorists in the Surankot region of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Saturday, resulting in the death of one soldier and the injury of four others. Sources indicate that a group of four terrorists executed the attack.
The convoy assault occurred close to Shahsitar in the Surankote region around 6:15 pm as the troops were heading back to their base at Sanai Top.
Authorities reported that four soldiers sustained injuries from the terrorists' gunfire and were promptly evacuated to a hospital. Sadly, one of the two critically wounded individuals succumbed to their injuries.
The vehicles were en route to the nearby Sanai Top in the Surankote area of the district, with authorities suspecting the potential involvement of the same terrorist group responsible for an ambush on the troops in neighboring Bufliaz on December 21 last year. That attack resulted in the deaths of four soldiers and left three others injured.
The Army truck bore the brunt of the terrorists' gunfire, who were armed with AK assault rifles. It is believed that they fled into the nearby forests following the attack, according to officials.
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Additional forces from the Army and police have been swiftly dispatched to the area, and a large-scale search and cordon operation has been initiated to locate and neutralize the terrorists, officials stated.
Police, supported by paramilitary forces, conducted searches in Poonch town starting from Friday, prompted by intelligence indicating the movement of individuals suspected of nefarious activities.
However, officials reported that no arrests were made during the operation. Poonch falls within the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency, scheduled for polling in the sixth phase on May 25.
Over the past two years, the border district of Poonch, along with its adjoining area Rajouri, has experienced several significant terrorist attacks. This resurgence of terror activities indicates a concerning trend, considering the region had remained relatively peaceful between 2003 and 2021 after being cleared of terrorism.
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