How soldiers foiled the ‘fidayeen’ attack in Rajouri | India News

NEW DELHI: Two terrorists carried out a ‘fidayeen’ attack on an Army camp in Jammu’s Rajouri district in the early hours of Thursday, killing four soldiers. Both attackers were gunned down in the four-hour firefight that followed.
PRO (defence) Jammu Lt Col Devender Anand said that alert sentries of the Army post at Parghal, in Rajouri, detected suspicious persons approaching their post “taking advantage of the inclement weather and dense foliage”.
He said the sentries challenged the two terrorists who lobbed grenades while attempting to gain entry inside the post. However, alert troops cordoned the area and engaged them in a firefight thereby pinning them, he said.
In the ensuing gunfight, the two terrorists were neutralised. Six soldiers of the Indian Army were injured out of which four later succumbed to injuries.
The army personnel killed were subedar Rajendra Prasad (of Maligoven village in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district), rifleman Lakshmanan D (of T Pudupatti village in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu), rifleman Manoj Kumar (of Shahjahanpur village in Haryana’s Faridabad), and rifleman Nishant Malik.
Col Anand said, “Indian Army salutes the Bravehearts, for their supreme sacrifice in line of duty. The Nation will always remain indebted to them for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty.”
Security forces and the police had been put on alert following intelligence inputs on suspected movement of terrorists in the Rajouri belt.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the attack on the Army in Rajouri district. “Strongly condemn despicable (militant) attack in Rajouri; tributes to brave soldiers who made supreme sacrifice. Heartfelt condolences to the families of the bravehearts martyred in the attack,” Sinha said in a tweet. “We shall deal with evil designs of (militants) and their backers in a befitting manner,” Office of Lt Governor tweeted.
National Conference president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also condemned the attack. “Very sorry to hear about the death in the line of duty of four soldiers following a militant attack in Rajouri. While condemning the attack I send my condolences to the families & my prayers for the swift recovery of those officers & jawans injured in the attack #Rajouri,” Omar tweeted.
The attack comes four days ahead of Independence Day, and marks the return of ‘fidayeen’ (suicide attackers) to the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir after more than three years.
The last such attack took place on February 14, 2019 at Lethpora in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
(With inputs from agencies)