Fidayeen attack on army camp in Rajouri kills 4 soldiers

Fidayeen attack on army camp in Rajouri kills 4 soldiers

2 heavily-armed attackers killed: Army

Srinagar: Four army soldiers and two unidentified militants were killed after two heavily armed militants stormed an army camp in the wee hours of Thursday in Rajouri in Jammu.
Two army soldiers also suffered injuries in the gun battle, a spokesperson of the army’s White Knight Corps said, “They are being treated.”
The slain army soldiers have been identified as Subedar Rajendra Prasad, Rifleman Manoj Kumar, and Rifleman Lakshman D. “The three of them succumbed to their injuries, sustained while trying to repel a suicide attack,” army’s Nagrota-based spokesperson said.
The slain militants were yet to be identified while this report was being filed but are believed to be members of Jaish-e-Muhammad militant outfit.
“In the early hours on Thursday, alert sentries of the Indian Army post at Parghal, in Rajouri district detected suspicious persons approaching their post taking advantage of the inclement weather and dense foliage,” PRO (defence) Jammu Lt Col Devender Anand said.
He said the sentries challenged the two militants who lobbed grenades while attempting to gain entry inside the post. However, alert troops cordoned the area and engaged them in a firefight thereby pinning them, he said.
Anand further said in the ensuing gunfight, the two terrorists were neutralised. Six soldiers of Indian Army were injured in the operation and of them, three soldiers succumbed to injuries while repulsing the suicide attack, he said.
In the evening, defence officials said fourth soldier identified as Rifleman Nishant Malik succumbed taking the number of slain soldiers in Rajouri attack to four.
The attack was reported from Pargal, near Budh Kanadi in Darhal, some 25 Kilometres from the Rajouri district headquarters. “Someone tried to enter the fence of an army camp in the Pargal area of Rajouri. Two militants were killed after the exchange of fire,” Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jammu, Mukesh Singh said.
“There have been huge recoveries from the militants who were on a suicide mission,” the spokesperson said, adding 2 AK-47 Rifles, 9 Magazines, 300 rounds, five grenades, and other administrative stores have been retrieved from the slain militants.
Today’s attempted suicide attack was the first in Jammu and Kashmir since February 14, 2019, Pulwama attack wherein 40 CRPF personnel were killed in a suicide bombing.
This attack was also the first major one in the Jammu region since the 2018 Fidayeen attack on Sunjwan army camp. Rajouri district had remained more or less militancy free for many years, before a major operation lasting more than a month was carried out in the Khalba forest area of Rajouri district, last year in November.
At least 9 army men were killed during the operation that was later called off, with no trace of the militants.
Recently, a LeT module was also busted in the district leading to the arrest of a Bhartiya Janata Party leader, Talib Hussain Shah, for being involved in a series of attacks in the area. A large number of weapons were also retrieved from him.
Hussain was the social media in-charge of BJP’s minority morcha social media for Jammu. BJP eventually disowned Hussain.

 

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