JAMMU: Captain Karamjit Singh Bakshi and Naik Mukesh lost their lives while another soldier was wounded when terrorists targeted an Army patrol with an IED close to the LoC in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district around 3.50pm Tuesday. This marks the first security fatalities in the region this year and the third terrorist attack in four days.
The attack comes amid a spike in hostilities along the LoC. Officials said the patrol was despatched after intelligence agencies picked up inputs about possible terrorist movement near Laleali in Akhnoor. Following the explosion, the area was cordoned off and a manhunt is currently underway.
The Army saluted “the supreme sacrifice of two gallant soldiers”, while offering its condolences to their bereaved families.
Security sources said terrorists are waiting for an opportunity to enter India. With rising temperatures melting snow in the mountainous terrain, security forces are preparing for a surge in attempts by terrorists from the Pakistani side to breach the border.
The winter lull, which typically stretches for several months, may be shorter than usual this year due to rising temperatures. “It may lead to an early start to the infiltration season,” a security source said.
Lieutenant general Navin Sachdeva, GOC of White Knight Corps, reviewed “hostile activities” in Rajouri district Monday. That same day, a bullet fired from across the border hit a soldier at a forward post in Nowshera sector of Rajouri.
On February 8, terrorists fired at a patrol from a forested area across LoC in Keri sector of Rajouri, prompting a retaliatory response from Indian soldiers.
In the intervening night of February 4 and 5, a landmine explosion in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district caused casualties among terrorists attempting to cross LoC. However, there was no official confirmation on the number of deaths.
J&K saw a spate of terrorist attacks between May and December last year, prompting heightened counteroffensives by security forces. More than 30 terrorists were eliminated before the onset of the region’s harsh winter. Security forces also recorded 25 fatalities during this period — 19 in Jammu and six in Kashmir.
Official sources estimated that of the 70 to 80 Pakistani terrorists active in J&K, nearly 55 to 60 are in Jammu zone. These “highly trained intruders” operate in small groups of three to four, armed with sophisticated weapons such as M4 carbines, and use advanced techs like iridium satellite phones and thermal imagery.
The capability of these groups to coordinate attacks remains a major challenge for security forces in the remote and rugged landscape, dotted with deep gorges, thick woods, mountain caves, and other natural hideouts that provide ample cover.