Four Army Personnel Martyred in Terrorist Ambush in Kathua

KATHUA/JAMMU: Four army personnel were martyred and six others injured on Monday when terrorists ambushed their vehicle in the remote Machedi area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, officials reported.

The ambush took place around 3:30 pm near Badnota village in Lohai Malhar, approximately 150 km from Kathua town. Terrorists hurled a grenade and opened fire on army vehicles conducting a routine patrol on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road. Security forces retaliated, but the terrorists managed to flee into the nearby forest. Intermittent firing continued between the terrorists and security forces when the last reports were received.

Reinforcements have been dispatched to the area to neutralize the terrorists, believed to have recently infiltrated from across the border. “A total of 10 troopers were injured, and four of them later succumbed to their injuries,” an official stated.

This marks the second major incident in Kathua district within the past four weeks. On June 12 and 13, two terrorists and a CRPF jawan were killed in a fierce gunfight during a search and cordon operation.

The latest attack follows a gunfight on June 26 in the Gandoh area of Doda district, where three foreign terrorists were killed. Jammu has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, attributed by authorities to attempts by Pakistani handlers to revive terrorism in the region and disrupt the peaceful atmosphere.

On June 9, terrorists targeted a bus carrying pilgrims from the Shiv Khori temple in Reasi district, resulting in the deaths of nine people, including the driver and the conductor, and injuring 41 others.