Jammu And Kashmir: 4 Soldiers Killed, 3 Injured In Terror Ambush. LeT Offshoot Claims Attack

The terrorists ambushed the army vehicle during an anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Thursday.

Terrorist ambush army vehicle in J&K, 4 soldiers killed.

Four soldiers were killed while three others were left injured after heavily armed terrorists ambushed two Army vehicles in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Thursday, officials said. The personnel were going to the site of a cordon-and-search operation and their vehicle was attacked at a blind curve at Dhatyar Morh between Dera Ki Gali at around 3.45 pm, as per the army sources.

The People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the deadly ambush.

Meanwhile, the security forces are conducting a search operation in the forest area of Dera ki Gali where the attack took place.

#WATCH | Security forces are conducting a search operation in the forest area of Dera ki Gali in the Rajouri sector after the terrorist attack on Army vehicles yesterday pic.twitter.com/V56EjGzfC2

— ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2023

Former Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir -- Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mehbooba Mufti -- strongly condemned the attack.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the White Knight Corps of the Indian Army said: "#IndianArmy and #Whiteknight Corps salutes the bravery and supreme sacrifice of four soldiers in #Surankote on 21 Dec 23 while fighting the scourge of terrorism @adgpi."

#IndianArmy and #Whiteknight Corps salutes the bravery and supreme sacrifice of four soldiers in #Surankote on 21 Dec 23 while fighting the scourge of terrorism@adgpi @NorthernComd_IA

— White Knight Corps (@Whiteknight_IA) December 22, 2023

Here's What Happened 

Jammu-based defence PRO Lieutenant Colonel Suneel Bartwal said that a joint search operation was launched in the general area of Dera Ki Gali in the Thanamandi-Surankote region of Rajouri on Wednesday night based on "hard intelligence" about the presence of terrorists. As additional forces were moving to the site, the ultras fired upon the Army vehicles -- a truck and a Maruti Gypsy.  A defence spokesperson said the troops swiftly responded to the attack.

Officials said that four soldiers were killed and three were injured in the encounter and the injured have been admitted to a hospital. The counter-terrorism operation is still underway.

Disturbing images and videos emerged from the site showing blood on the street, broken helmets of soldiers and shattered windscreens of the two Army vehicles, the agency added.

The officials have not ruled out the possibility of hand-to-hand combat between the soldiers and the terrorists during the intense confrontation.

Meanwhile, authorities are working to gather more information on the attack.