Jammu, Jul 09 (KNO): A massive manhunt has been launched in the woods of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district to track down the terrorists involved in the attack on an army vehicle that led to the killing of five soldiers and injuries to five others.
Officials told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that joint teams of army and police launched a massive combing operation in and around the incident site at Badnota in Kathua district. “Director General of Police (DGP) RR Swain, ADGP Jammu Anand Jain and senior army officials visited the incident site and monitored the search operation in the area,” they said.
Five soldiers were killed in the Kathua attack and five others were injured as well. The slain soldiers hailed from Uttrakhand. They were identified as Rifleman Anuj Negi from Pauri Garhwal, Nayab Subedar Anand Singh Rawat from Rudraprayag, Naik Vinod Singh from Tehri, Kamal Singh from Pauri and Adarsh Negi from Tehri.
The attack took place on Monday when a group of heavily-armed terrorists ambushed a patrolling party in Badnota area in Kathua. A massive search operation is underway to nab the terrorists behind the ambush in which five people were also injured.
Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu termed the terrorist attack on an Army convoy in Jammu and Kashmir a “cowardly act” and said it deserved condemnation and firm counter-measures.
In a post on X, Murmu said, “My sympathies are with the families of the bravehearts who laid down their lives in this ongoing war against terror in its all forms. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured.”
“The attack on a convoy of Army personnel in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir by terrorists is a cowardly act that deserves condemnation and firm counter-measures.
My sympathies are with the families of the bravehearts who laid down their lives in this ongoing war against terror in its all forms. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,” the President said.
Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami asserted that sacrifice of Bravehearts will not go in vain.
“Five brave soldiers of Uttarakhand attained martyrdom during the cowardly terrorist attack in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir. This is a moment of great pain for all of us,” Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a statement.
“Our bravehearts made the supreme sacrifice for their motherland in keeping with the rich military tradition of Uttarakhand,” he said, adding their “sacrifice will not go in vain.
Terrorists, who are the enemies of humanity and guilty of this cowardly attack, will not be spared at any cost, he said, adding the people who sheltered them will also have to face the consequences. He said the entire state stands with their families in this hour of grief. The chief minister also paid his tribute to those killed through separate posts on X—(KNO)