Srinagar: Top military officials have arrived in the Pir Panchal region to assess the escalating security situation amid a surge in ambush attacks by militants in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to reports, Lieutenant General Navin Sachdeva, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 16 Corps, visited forward areas in Rajouri district.
“The GOC of White Knight Corps, accompanied by GOC Counter Insurgency Force (Romeo) Guluthi and Dera Ki Gali (DKG), conducted a review of the security situation,” the White Knight Corps said in a post on X.
“During the visit, they were briefed on operational preparedness and ongoing measures to maintain a robust operational posture, it said.
His visit came a day after five military personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer, were killed and as many were injured on Monday when heavily armed militants ambushed a patrolling party in the remote Machedi area of Jammu’s Kathua district.
The attack came on the death anniversary of Burhan Wani, local militant commander who was killed in an operation on July 8, 2016, in south Kashmir's Kokernag.
It’s the fourth militancy-related incident in the past 48 hours in J&K.
Six militants and two troopers were killed in two separate operations in south Kashmir’s Kulgam on July 6 and 7. One trooper was injured in an attack in Rajouri on Saturday morning.
Earlier, two militants and a CRPF personnel were killed and six security personnel were injured in twin operations on June 11 and 12.
Three non-local militants were killed in Chenab valley’s Doda on June 27. Nine pilgrims were also killed on June 9 in an ambush by militants in Katra. The Chenab Valley and the Pir Panchal Valley, have been witnessing increased militant activities this year. Earlier the government of India revived VDG in these belts to combat militancy.