NEW DELHI, Apr 20: The fire in the army truck that took a toll of five soldiers in Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday was not caused by lightning strike as suspected earlier but because terrorist attack.
The army in a statement in the evening said the “vehicle was fired upon by the terrorists at around 3 pm near the Bhimber Gali area and later caught fire due to a likely grenade attack.”
The unidentified terrorists fired at the Army vehicle, taking advantage of heavy rain and low visibility in the area, an official statement issued by the Army headquarters, Northern Command read. “The vehicle caught fire, due to likely use of grenades by terrorists,” it added.
Five personnel of the Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counterterrorist operations in the area died in the incident, said the Army. It said another soldier, who was seriously injured in the attack, was evacuated to the hospital and is under treatment.
Operations are on to locate the attackers, it added.
“Anguished by the tragedy in Poonch District (J&K), where the Indian Army has lost its brave soldiers after a truck caught fire. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families,” said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The terror incident assumes significance in view a G20 Tourism Working Group meeting scheduled in Srinagar in May. The Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had reviewed the security situation in the Union territory last week.
(Manas Dasgupta)
