Srinagar:

The Sang police post in Udhampur’s Basantgarh came under terrorist fire this evening, two days after a deadly ambush killed five soldiers in the area on Tuesday. However, the alert police officers promptly retaliated and forced the terrorists to flee, averting a major tragedy.

Three heavily armed terrorists were involved in the attack, sources told NDTV.

Basantgrah borders the Kathua district where an army convoy was ambushed on Monday. Five soldiers were killed and five others were injured in the attack, following which a massive combing operation was launched in the area by the army and the police amid heavy rain in the dense forests.

The operation, launched from Kathua, Udhampur, and Bhaderwah, led to the detention of 50 people, who are being questioned in connection with the ambush, officials said, reported news agency PTI.

A massive hunt has been launched to track down and kill the terrorists believed to be hiding in the forests, they said.

More forces were deployed in the dense forests of Udhampur, Samba, Rajouri, and Poonch districts, with fresh searches in several areas this morning.

On April 28, a village Defense guard Mohammad Sharief was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Basantgrah.

More details are awaited.

New Delhi:

The killing of five Armymen in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua yesterday will not go unavenged, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane said today, while expressing condolences for their families.

Sending a strong message in the aftermath of the attack, the Defence Secretary said, “I express profound grief on the loss of five Bravehearts in a terrorist attack in Badnota, Kathua, and extend deepest condolences to the bereaved families. Their selfless service to the nation will always be remembered & their sacrifice will not go unavenged and India will defeat the evil forces behind the attack.” The remarks were shared by the Defence Ministry in a post on X.

“Their selfless service to the nation will always be remembered & their sacrifice will not go unavenged and India will defeat the evil forces behind the attack”.
-Defence Secretary Shri @giridhararamane (2/2)@HQ_IDS_India@adgpi@PIB_India@GallantryAward@salute2soldier

— A. Bharat Bhushan Babu (@SpokespersonMoD) July 9, 2024

Five Army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer, were killed, and as many were injured yesterday when terrorists ambushed a patrol party in Kathua’s remote Machedi area.

The ten soldiers were in an Army truck that was attacked by grenade and gunfire yesterday afternoon. The terrorists fled into the forest after the ambush. A search operation has been launched to track them down.

Kashmir Tigers, a shadow outfit of the banned Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Yesterday’s attack was the second attack on the Army within two days. The last few weeks have seen heightened terror activities in the Union Territory.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said he is “deeply anguised” by the solders’ deaths yesterday.

“I am deeply anguished at the loss of five of our brave Indian Army Soldiers in a terrorist attack in Badnota, Kathua (J&K). My deepest condolences to the bereaved families, the Nation stands firm with them in this difficult time. The Counter Terrorist operations are underway, and our soldiers are determined to usher in peace and order in the region. I pray for a speedy recovery to those who sustained injuries in this dastardly terror attack,” he said in a post on X.