Amid ongoing massive searches in the Rajouri-Poonch sector, a team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on April 21 surveyed the spot where five soldiers were killed and another was critically injured in a major militant attack on April 20.
Officials said the NIA team visited the site, which has been sealed after the attack. Security agencies are investigating the nature of the blast. Initial reports suggested the militants managed to hit the fuel tank with a grenade explosion, which sparked a major fire in the vehicle resulting in the deaths. Charred bodies of the soldiers were found near the vehicle. However, the exact cause of the fire has not been officially established.
Investigators are also looking into the use of rocket-propelled grenades, “which could have given an advantage to the attackers to hit the vehicle from a distance”. The security agencies have not formally identified any militant outfit behind the attack. Preliminary investigation confirms the use of both bullets and grenades in the attack.
Security agencies suspect that three or four militants participated in the attack. Shells of 7.62 mm steel-core bullets were recovered from the attack site. “More than one dozen bullets were fired at the Army vehicle from three sides,” officials said. The shells bear Chinese marks, initial reports suggested. Experts said these bullets could “pierce steel plates”.
The Army said the vehicle was travelling from Basooni in Balakote Sector towards Sangiote in Poonch’s Surankote, as part of the country-insurgency patrol. However, it’s not clear why the vehicle was on a solitary drive in the area despite heightened militant activities in the region.
Security agencies suspect that the attackers were hiding in the forest area and opened fire from a distance. The security forces launched searches in the area on Thursday evening and the multiple operations continued in the region on Friday. “Drones were put into service by the Army to spot the attackers. Sniffer dogs also fanned out to trace the route of the attackers,” officials said.
The Pir Panjal valley, comprising Rajouri and Poonch districts, are close to the Line of Control (LoC). Four civilians were killed on January 1 when militants attacked a village in Rajouri’s Dangri area. The attackers remain untraced so far. In 2021, nine soldiers died in a major ambush by militants in the Bhata Durian and Chamrel forests.
The attack comes at a time when the Jammu & Kashmir administration is preparing to host a meeting next month of delegates from G-20 nations. Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a major security review meeting in New Delhi on April 13 to finalise the security for the G-20 event.
BSF reviews LoC, IB security
Top officers of the Border Security Force (BSF) also huddled in Jammu to further step up vigil along the LoC and the International Border (IB) in J&K.
Director-General (DG) BSF Dr. S.L. Thaosen briefed the field commanders about recent threats being faced on LoC and IB. “A special emphasis was given to the domination of LoC and IB due to recent incidents in Jammu and Rajouri area,” an official spokesman said.
Mr. Thaosen held a review meeting at Frontier Headquarters of the BSF in Jammu to review the security scenario. Top BSF officers gave a detailed presentation on the critical aspects of border security and domination in Jammu.
Wreath-laying ceremony in Rajouri
Meanwhile, a wreath-laying ceremony was organised at Rajouri with full military traditions for the five soldiers. The deceased soldiers were identified as Havaldar Mandeep Singh, Lance Naik Kulwant Singh, Sepoy Harkrishan Singh and Sepoy Sewak Singh, all natives of Punjab, and Lance Naik Debashish Biswal, a native of Odisha.
