Alert Army troops, on early Monday, foiled a terrorist attack on a security post and house of a Village Defense Guard (VDG) in the border district of Rajouri Jammu and Kashmir.

In the fierce gun battle, one terrorist was killed while a jawan and a civilian were injured. The injured civilian is the kin of the VDG member whose house was attacked by the terrorists on early Monday.

“Terrorists attacked the house of a VDC (member) at Gunda, Rajouri at 03.10 hours. A nearby Army column reacted and a firefight ensued,” White Knight Corps said on X.

“Indian Army acted on intelligence, anticipating the threat to a Village Defense Guard in a remote area in Rajouri-Reasi. Tactical teams swiftly intervened, ensuring no harm to the VDG member and his family. Operations are continuing and firefighting is in progress”, it added.

Initial reports said that a group of terrorists attacked the house of the VDG member and ex-serviceman Parshotam Kumar in the Gundha area of ​​the Khawas tehsil in Rajouri district. This village is situated on the border of the Rajouri and Reasi districts. The VDG Parshotam Kumar member is also a Shourya Charka awardee.

The house of the VDG member is situated just near the Army post so security personnel retaliated without wasting any time after the terrorists threw a grenade.

After throwing a grenade at the residence of a VDG member, terrorists attacked by the Army picket resulting in a fierce encounter in which a terrorist was reportedly eliminated.

The troops foiled the attack on the Army post and a cordon and search operation was launched by security forces in the area, resulting in another round of gunfight.

“A major terror attack on an Army picket in a remote village of Rajouri was thwarted. Firing is underway and operation is in progress,” an Army spokesperson said.

Attacks on security forces going unabated

Since 2021, attacks on the security forces have been going unabated in Jammu region. Since October 11, 2021, when prolonged gun battles between terrorists and the Army erupted in the Chamrer and Bhatta Durrian forests between Surankote and Mendhar in Poonch district, signaling a resurgence of terrorism, nearly Bravehearts have sacrificed their lives in various terror attacks and encounters in the Jammu region.

On October 11, 2021, five Army soldiers lost their lives in the Chamrer forests, and on October 16, 2021, four more soldiers, including two JCOs, were martyred in the Bhatta Durrian forests. The terrorists involved remained untraced.

Two more Army jawans sacrificed their lives in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri on October 30, 2021. On August 11, 2022, five Army soldiers were killed and two Fidayeens were eliminated in a terror attack at Pargal in the Darhal area of ​​Rajouri.

On April 20, 2023, five Army soldiers were martyred in the Bhatta Durrian area of ​​Mendhar in Poonch, and exactly two weeks later, five para commandos lost their lives and a Major was injured in an IED blast triggered by terrorists in the Kandi area of Rajouri district.

On November 22, 2023, five Army personnel, including two Captains, attained martyrdom while eliminating two foreign terrorists in Bajimaal, Dharamshal area of ​​Kalakote in Rajouri.

On December 21, 2023, five more bravehearts were killed and two others injured in Dera Ki Gali in the Surankote area of ​​Poonch.

A VDG jawan was killed in Basantgarh, Udhampur district, on April 28, 2024. An IAF soldier lost his life on May 4, 2024, in Surankote, Poonch, and a CRPF jawan sacrificed his life in Hiranagar, Kathua, on June 11, 2024.

On July 9, five Army jawans were martyred in Machedi in the Billawar area of ​​Kathua district.

Four soldiers including a Captain of the Army lost their lives on the line of duty in the Dessa area of ​​Doda district on July 15.