Terror goes up in NDA govt’s 1st month in Jammu

20 killed, 46 injured in 7 terror strikes, encounters from 9 June to 9 July 2024

SRINAGAR: Even as 36 soldiers and over a dozen civilians had got killed in nearly two dozen terror strikes and encounters in less than three years from 11 October 2021 to 9 June 2024, militancy-related violence has witnessed a remarkable surge in Jammu in the first month of the NDA Government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his third successive term.
With the death of 5 soldiers in a terrorist strike on an Army vehicle in the Kathua district on Monday, as many as 43 soldiers have died in different attacks and encounters in the last two years and nine months in Jammu.
There were some sporadic attacks intermittently in the current year—like the killing of one Indian Air Force personnel in Surankote Poonch on 4 May, one Village Defence Guard in Basantgarh on 28 April and one employee of the Social Welfare Department in Basantgarh on 22 April. However, the last major terror strike happened over seven months back on 21 December 2023. Five soldiers were killed and two left injured in this attack near Dera Ki Gali on Rajouri-Bafliaz Road.
Minutes before Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers was sworn in for the third consecutive BJP-led government at the Centre on 9 June, 2024, terrorists ambushed a bus of the Shiv Khori pilgrims near Teryath in Reasi district. The targeted vehicle rolled down into a gorge. Nine persons, including 7 pilgrims, the driver and the conductor, got killed. As many as 33 pilgrims sustained injuries.
In just two days, an encounter took place between the terrorists and the security forces on 11 June in Hiranagar area of Kathua district. Two terrorists and one CRPF jawan got killed.
On the same night of 11 June, terrorists attacked a joint picket of the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police at Chattergala in Doda district. Six Army personnel sustained injuries. All the terrorists escaped.
On 12 June, one J&K Police personnel was injured in a terror attack at Kota Top in Gandoh area of Doda district.
The 5th major incident of the month occurred in the same Doda district on 26 June when three terrorists, believed to be Pakistani cadres of Jaish-e-Mohammad, were killed in an encounter with security forces.
In the 6th consecutive attack, terrorists left one Army sentry wounded when they attacked his picket in Manjakote area of Rajouri district on 7 July.
The month’s 7th successive terror strike was carried out near Badnota village in Lohai Malhar area of Kathua district on the 8th death anniversary of the top ranking Kashmiri terrorist Burhan Wani on 8 July 2024. Five soldiers of the Army got killed and 5 more injured.
A day after, on 9 July, a fierce encounter started between the militants and the security forces which was going on without any report of casualties at the filing of this story at Gadi Bhagwan area of the mountainous Doda district.
In all, 20 persons—5 Army personnel, one CRPF man, 7 pilgrims besides the driver and conductor of a targeted bus and 5 terrorists—got killed in these seven incidents in the first month of the NDA Government in Jammu. As many as 46 persons, including 33 pilgrims, sustained injuries.
This is for the first time in the last over 12 years that a large number of terror attacks and encounters in quick succession have taken place in a month in Jammu division. Security and intelligence agencies believe that 50 to 100 well-trained terrorists with material support from Pakistan have infiltrated into and fanned out in different districts of Jammu.
On Tuesday, top ranking Police, Army and paramilitary officials with the Union Territory heads of three Central intelligence held a series of back-to-back meetings, primarily on the casualties suffered in Kathua and implications of this incident on the UT’s overall security scenario.

Updated On 7/10/2024 2:46:39 AM