5 soldiers killed, 5 injured in J-K militant ambush

Kathua/Jammu, NT Bureau: Five army personnel were killed and five injured on Monday when ultras ambushed their vehicle in the remote Machedi area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, officials said.

The militants hurled a grenade and opened fire targeting Army vehicles which were on a routine patrol on the MachediKindli-Malhar road at around 3.30 pm near Badnota village in Lohai Malhar, 150 km from Kathua town.

Security forces retaliated but the terrorists fled into the nearby forest, the officials said, adding an intermittent exchange of firing was going on between the ultras and security forces when the last reports were received.

They said reinforcements have been rushed to the area to neutralise the terrorists, who are believed to have recently infiltrated from across the border and were moving to the higher reaches.

"A total of 10 troopers were injured and four of them later succumbed to their injuries," an official said. This was the second major incident in Kathua district in the past four weeks.

On June 12 and 13, two terrorists and a CRPF jawan were killed in a fierce gunfight during a search and cordon operation. The terror attack comes within a fortnight of a gunfight between terrorists and security forces in the Gandoh area of Doda district that left three foreign terrorists dead on June 26.

Jammu has witnessed a spurt in terror activities, attributed by authorities to an attempt by Pakistani handlers to revive terrorism in the region and disturb the peaceful atmosphere.

On June 9, ultras struck a bus carrying pilgrims from the Shiv Khori temple in Reasi district, killing nine people, including the driver and the conductor of the vehicle, and injuring 41. (PTI)