J&K terror attack: 5 Army soldiers killed; Pakistani terrorists threw grenade on truck, then opened fire

The injured personnel were swiftly evacuated to a hospital for treatment. According to officials, the terrorists launched the attack by throwing a grenade at the convoy and then opening fire. The security forces retaliated, but the assailants managed to escape into the nearby forest.

As many as five Indian Army personnel lost their lives and six others were injured when Pakistani terrorists ambushed a military convoy in the remote Machedi area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district on Monday afternoon. The attack took place while the Army vehicles were on a routine patrol on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road, approximately 150 km from Kathua.

The injured personnel were swiftly evacuated to a hospital for treatment. According to officials, the terrorists launched the attack by throwing a grenade at the convoy and then opening fire. The security forces retaliated, but the assailants managed to escape into the nearby forest.

Reinforcements were dispatched to the scene, and a search operation was launched to track down the terrorists. Officials reported intermittent gunfire between the terrorists and security forces during the operation.

Reacting to the attack, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stressed the need for strict action against the continuous terrorist assaults, criticizing the government for what he described as "hollow speeches and false promises."

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge expressed deep anguish over the martyrdom of the soldiers. In a post on X, he said, "Deeply anguished at the martyrdom of our five brave Indian Army soldiers in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua. Six jawans are also injured." He unequivocally condemned the cowardly attack on the Army convoy.

This incident marks the second attack on the Indian Army in the Jammu region within the past 48 hours. On Sunday, an Army camp in Rajouri district was attacked, resulting in one soldier being injured.

Additionally, the attack comes just 24 hours after six terrorists were killed in two separate encounters in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district. These encounters, which began on Saturday, also claimed the lives of two soldiers, including a para-trooper, while another soldier sustained injuries.

The first encounter took place in Modergam village when security forces, comprising the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Army, and local police, launched a search operation based on intelligence about terrorist presence. In the initial exchange of gunfire, a para-trooper was fatally wounded.

The operation escalated into a full-scale assault on a house where the terrorists had taken shelter. By late Saturday night, security forces had destroyed the house and recovered the bodies of two terrorists.

Simultaneously, another fierce gun battle unfolded in Kulgam's Frisal area. Drone footage revealed the bodies of four terrorists after a prolonged firefight. One soldier was killed, and another injured in this confrontation.