IAF Soldier Killed, 5 Others Injured In Militant Attack At Surankote Poonch

Poonch: One soldier of the Indian Air Force was killed in action and five others were injured when two vehicles, including one of the IAF, came under heavy militant fire in the Surankote area of Poonch district, sources said. Of the five injured, one IAF Soldier is reportedly critical. They were all airlifted to the Command Hospital in Udhampur for further treatment, officials said.
“In the ensuing gunfight with militants, the Air Warriors fought back by returning fire,” the IAF posted on ‘X’.
It further wrote that 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,” it stated.
This is the first major attack on the armed forces this year in the region which witnessed a series of militant attacks on the army last year.
Visuals from the attack site showed at least a dozen bullet holes on the windscreen of the vehicle that came under fire.
Official sources however, said that a combing and search operation (CASO) had been going on in the area for the past few days following reports of movement of militants.
During the searches, militants opened fire on a vehicle carrying Air Force personnel, which was effectively retaliated and in the ensuing gunfight, five personnel were injured. This is the second militant attack in Rajouri-Poonch region in the last 12 days.
A 40-year-old government employee was killed after unknown militants had opened fire on him near Shahdra Sharief area of Thanamandi on April 22.
On December 21, four soldiers had died in a militant attack on the Mughal Road between Dera Ki Gali and Bufliaz in Poonch.
The security forces and police have already launched cordon and search operations to flush out militants and their sympathisers in the districts in view of the upcoming parliamentary elections in the area.
Few days ago, security forces had apprehended a school headmaster from Hari Buddha area of Poonch and seized a Pakistan-made pistol along with ammunition as well as two Chinese grenades from his house.
Poonch is part of Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency which is going to polls in the sixth phase on May 25.