5 Army jawans killed in terror attack in Poonch; assault rifles, grenades used to target vehicle

Five soldiers were killed in a terror attack when the truck they were travelling in was ambushed by a group of militants, who used assault rifles and grenades to target the vehicle.

Four among the five jawans killed in Jammu and Kashmir ’s Poonch terror attack on Thursday were from Punjab.

A massive search operation is under way to nab the terrorist in Poonch and Rajouri districts.

Inconsolable kin of Sewak Singh at Bagha village in Bathinda district, who was martyred yesterday in Jammu.

Defence sources said that a large area around and outside the spot, where terrorists attacked an army vehicle, is being combed to hunt down the terrorists.

Terrorists attacked an army vehicle between Bhimber Gali and Poonch in Rajouri district around 3 p.m. on Thursday.They fired at the vehicle followed by grenade attack which resulted in the vehicle catching fire.

Five soldiers of counter insurgency Rashtriya Rifles identified as Havaldar Mandeep Singh, Sepoy Harkrishan Singh, Lance Naik Kulwant Singh, Sepoy Sewak Singh, all four belonged to Punjab and Lance Naik Debashish of Orissa were martyred in this attack while another soldier was critically injured.

The truck was ambushed when it was moving from Bhimber Gali to Sangiot on Rajouri-Poonch National Highway. “One Army vehicle, moving between Bhimber Gali and Poonch 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,” said an official spokesperson of Army based in Northern Command.

“Five personnel of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) unit deployed for Counter Terrorist operations, in this area, have unfortunately lost their lives in the incident” he said.

Another seriously injured soldier was evacuated immediately to the Army Hospital at Rajouri and is under treatment. The fire came from forest areas on hills surrounding the road after which a cordon was laid by the army and a search operation was launched.