The Army is moving in additional troops to the Rajouri-Poonch sector after a spate of attacks on security personnel and increased activity by Pakistan origin terrorists who have created hideouts in thick forests close to the LoC.
Army To Deploy More Troops In Poonch Belt
The Army is moving in additional troops to the Rajouri-Poonch sector after a spate of attacks on security personnel and increased activity by Pakistan origin terrorists who have created hideouts in thick forests close to the LoC. Sources said that troop deployments on the China border will not be impacted and additional forces will be moved to the terror impacted region, even from outside of Jammu and Kashmir if required.
The Army is looking to crack down on terror modules that have scaled up attacks in Poonch-Rajouri sector, with forces suspecting a nexus between Pakistan and China to revive terrorism in the sector to pressurize removal of troops from Ladakh. Troops with the Rashtriya Rifles – a specialist counter insurgency force – were moved to Ladakh after China brought in thousands of troops to disputed areas along the Line of Actual Control in 2020.
The Army is also conducting an investigation into the death of three civilians a day after the terrorist attack in Poonch. According to sources, the Army is taking disciplinary action against some officers and rejigging the postings of others in the wake of the civilian deaths in the region amid allegations of custodial torture by the families of the deceased. The Army has also launched a probe involving a Brigadier-level officer as part of its inquiry into the three civilian deaths, sources said. The investigation will also address the recurring terrorist attacks on Army personnel within the officer’s area of responsibility.
Terror Attacks In J&K
At least four soldiers lost their lives, and three others were wounded in a terrorist ambush on two military vehicles in J&K’s Poonch district on Thursday, coming just a month after security forces faced five fatalities, including two captains, during an anti-terrorism operation in the adjoining Rajouri sector. Two soldiers have been injured in the terrorist attack on two military vehicles in the Rajouri sector. Despite being declared terrorism-free more than a decade ago, the frontier districts of Rajouri and Poonch have recorded a concerning rise in Army fatalities, with 34 reported since October 2021. The toll for this year alone stood at 20 (till Thursday), making up 59% of the total.
