The Indian Army said it began a search and cordon operation in the Gundha area of the district after a security post and the residence of Shaurya Chakra recipient Parshotam Kumar came under attack

A soldier and the relative of a gallantry award winner were injured as suspected terrorists launched a two-pronged attack at a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri on Monday. The Indian Army said both the attempts were foiled followed by a search and cordon operation in the Gundha area of the district, after a security post and the residence of Shaurya Chakra recipient Parshotam Kumar came under attack.

According to officials, the terrorists spread out in two groups to carry out the attack. One group tried to attack the security post while the other targeted Kumar’s residence. His uncle was injured in the exchange of fire.

Kumar is a farmer and member of a village defence group, or village defence committee (VDC), who was recently conferred the Shaurya Chakra by President Droupadi Murmi as he “displayed astute patriotism and gallantry under fire”.

An army spokesperson said the terrorists fired at the security post around 4 am, and troops guarding the post retaliated resulting in fierce exchanges. The troops foiled the attack, following which a cordon and search operation was launched by security forces in the area, the spokesperson added.

Officials said a fresh firing between terrorists and security forces has broken out in the area, while the cordon and search operation is underway.

This incident comes amid a spike in terrorist attacks in the recent past — from Kathua to Reasi and Rajouri to Doda — and ahead of the elections due later this year.

In the most recent terror attack, four soldiers were killed in a gunfight with heavily armed terrorists in Doda district on the night of July 15. An Army captain and three soldiers were critically injured in the encounter in Dhari Gote Urarbagi in the Desa forest belt of Doda and later succumbed to injuries.

A week before that, there was a terrorist ambush on an army patrol in the remote Machedi forest belt in Kathua district that claimed the lives of five soldiers and injured as many.

After the Doda attack, the Udhampur-based northern command of the Indian Army said it has been conducting a series of joint and coordinated operations with Jammu and Kashmir Police to eliminate foreign terrorists who have infiltrated from across the border and are moving in the upper reaches of Udhampur, Doda and Kishtwar districts in Jammu region and thereafter to Kashmir.

“All formations of northern command are committed to eliminate the scourge of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir for which the relentless operations will continue,” the Army said, adding a number of measures have been instituted to enhance synergy between various agencies.

“These include joint training with J-K Police and Central Armed Police Forces and robust intelligence sharing mechanism between Army, police and other intelligence agencies,” the official release said.

“Clear guidelines have been enunciated towards ensuring no collateral damage and disruption in day-to-day life of the locals in the area. Close interaction with local populace is also ensured for flow of intelligence inputs,” the statement said.

In light of the incidents in the recent past, the army further said the proactive counter-terrorist operations continue to be prosecuted, including a joint operation with J-K Police in Urarbagi and similar operations in the Kathua area, where three terrorists were killed in Gandoh on June 26 besides successfully thwarting the Chattargala terrorist attack on June 11.

(With Inputs From Agencies)