Kathua terror attack: Terrorists lobbed grenade, fired from both sides, large group was involved

The incident took place at the inter-formation boundary between Northern and Western Command. The soldiers who came under attack were among additional troops who had been deployed in the area a few weeks ago. The administrative convoy was attacked from two directions, sources said.

The militants first hurled a grenade on one of the vehicles, and then started firing on the soldiers. As the Army personnel returned fire, the militants fled into the nearby forest area, said sources.

The exchange of fire was underway until late Monday night, and reinforcements had been sent to the site. While a search is on, Para (Special Forces) personnel will join the operation on Tuesday, said sources.

Kathua has the International Border with Pakistan on one side, and Punjab and Himachal Pradesh on the other. It is also adjacent to J&K’s Udhampur, Doda and Samba districts.

Badnota village, nearly 150 kilometres from Kathua town, falls between Machedi and Lohai Malhar. Security forces already had a base at Machedi since the area was a hotbed of militancy in the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. Now, with reports of militant movement coming from adjoining districts, troops were moving towards higher reaches of Lohai Malhar, adjoining Basantgarh area of Udhampur district, officials said.

While the Army and the J&K Police were yet to comment on the incident, Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh wrote on X: “My heart goes out to the braveheart soldiers martyred in the ongoing Kathua encounter. I am in constant touch with the authorities. Joint police and paramilitary operation is on. My sincere appeal to the civilian population not to panic. We have full faith in our armed forces and we are always indebted to them.”

Kathua had seen an encounter last month too, when security forces killed two militants in Hiranagar tehsil’s Saida village on June 11-12. A CRPF jawan was also killed in the firefight. According to officials, the militants, after having infiltrated into the district from across the International Border, were on their way to Udhampur.

A joint naka of the police and security forces was also attacked on the intervening night of June 11-12, injuring five soldiers and an SPO in Doda district. Three militants allegedly involved in the attack were later killed by police and security forces on June 26.

On June 9, nine persons were killed when a Katra-bound bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi district was attacked.