Air Force staffer succumbs to injuries sustained in Poonch militant attack

way2barak, May 5: Tightened security checks by Indian Army personnel in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir were observed on Sunday morning following a recent terrorist attack on an Indian Air Force vehicle convoy yesterday. One of the five injured soldiers succumbed to his injuries. The attack comes just three weeks before polling in the Anantang-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituencies.

The incident has prompted heightened vigilance and security measures in the region. Five security personnel, two of whom were in critical condition, were wounded when four terrorists opened fire on an IAF vehicle en route to Sanai Top in Poonch’s Surankot area on Saturday evening.

One of the injured soldiers succumbed to his injuries at a military hospital while undergoing treatment, officials confirmed. “In the Poonch district of J-K, near Shahsitar, militants targetted an Indian Air Force vehicle convoy. Presently, local military units are conducting cordon and search operations in the area,” stated IAF in a post on X.

“In the ensuing gunfight with terrorists, the Air Warriors fought back by returning fire. In the process, five IAF personnel received bullet injuries and were evacuated to the nearest military hospital for immediate medical attention. One Air Warrior succumbed to his injuries later. Further operations are on by the local security forces,” IAF said in another post.

The attack occurred around 6:15 PM as the troops were returning from Jaranwali to the air force station.

One of the trucks in the IAF convoy bore the brunt of the attack, with several bullets striking its windscreen and side. The armed terrorists, equipped with AK assault rifles, reportedly fled into nearby forests following the assault.

Reinforcement from the Army and police were dispatched to the area, a large-scale search and cordon operation was carried out to locate and neutralise the terrorists. There has been no trace of the fleeing assailants.

Police, aided by parliamentary forces, had been conducting searches in Poonch town since Friday following intelligence inputs regarding suspicious movements. However, no arrests were made during the operation.

Notably, Poonch falls within the jurisdiction of the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency, slated for polling in the sixth phase on May 25.