Five Army troops killed in militant ambush in Poonch

Aditya V Singh.

New Delhi: Five Indian Army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer (JCO), were killed in a militant ambush in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

Official sources said that the counter insurgency operation was launched in a village close to Dera Ki Gali in Surankote in the early hours following intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists.

A Defence spokesman said that the terrorists opened heavy fire on the search parties resulting in critical injuries to the JCO and four other ranks.All the five soldiers succumbed to their injuries.

The army had reportedly launched an operation in the area after receiving intelligence inputs.

The encounter was ongoing and further details are awaited, the spokesman said.

The officials said there are reports about presence of a group of heavily-armed terrorists in Chamrer forest after they managed to sneak from across the Line of Control (LoC).Reinforcements have been rushed to the area to plug all escape routes to ensure the terrorists are neutralised, they said.

Meanwhile, an MoD spokesman in Jammu said that today, at approximately 1500 hours, one Army vehicle, moving between Bhimber Gali and Poonch in the Rajauri sector was fired on by unidentified terrorists, taking advantage of heavy rains and low visibility in the area. The vehicle caught fire, due to likely use of grenades by terrorists.

Five personnel of the Rashtriya Rifles Unit deployed for Counter Terrorist operations, in this area, have unfortunately lost their lives in the incident.

Another seriously injured soldier was evacuated immediately to the Army Hospital at Rajauri and is under treatment.

Operations are in progress to locate the perpetrators. Further details are being ascertained.