The attack in Kathua on Monday took place in an area where there was no record of terrorist activity. Naib Subedar Anandar Singh Rawat, Naik Vinod Singh, Rifleman Adarsh Negi, Havildar Kamal Singh and Rifleman Anuj Negi were killed in the ambush on two army trucks. All the five martyrs are from Uttarakhand.
According to our partner Economic Times report, the area of Kathua where the terrorist attack took place on Monday comes under the Western Command based in Chandimandir, while most of Jammu and Kashmir is under the control of the Northern Command based in Udhampur. On Tuesday, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi held a detailed review meeting of the security situation in the Western Command area. Only a small part of the Jammu region, which borders Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, comes under the Western Command and there is no deployment of special anti-terrorism units of the National Rifles there.
ET quoted sources as saying that the Army Chief discussed counter-terrorism strategies with the Western Army Commander and deliberated on a number of initiatives to be taken in the coming days. All options, including neutralising terrorists at the launch pads and carrying out intelligence-based operations, are on the table.
On Tuesday, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane vowed to take action against those responsible for the attack. he/she said, “Their (soldiers’) selfless service to the nation will always be remembered and their sacrifice will not go unrevengeable and India will defeat the evil forces behind the attack.”
Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also held a major meeting with the Army Chief and top officials to discuss future security challenges along all borders. The presence of foreign terrorists in the Jammu region has become a major concern for the security forces. At least 7 terror modules are believed to be active in the region.
Besides, more than 70 terrorists are believed to be present on launch pads across the Line of Control. Rising terror activities have led to a spurt in attacks on security forces in the region, with such incidents witnessing a spurt in the past month. The terror grip in Jammu region has spread to almost all districts including Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Reasi and Kathua.