On Tuesday night, militants attacked a joint police and security forces checkpoint in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district, injuring six people, including five soldiers.
This incident marked the third terrorist strike in the usually tranquil Jammu region since Sunday evening.
The assault occurred at an elevation of 12,000 feet in the picturesque Chattergala area. While police confirmed the attack, they noted that further details were still being gathered.
Sources reported that around 8 p.m., militants fired on a tin shed housing an Army and police checkpoint at Chhatergala, near the Sarthal area of Kathua district. Chattergala in Doda’s Bhaderwah area, along with neighboring Sarthal in Kathua district, is known for its popularity among tourists nationwide.
The militants also threw a grenade at the checkpoint, prompting a retaliatory response from security forces and police. The exchange of gunfire continued into the early hours of Wednesday.
Following the militants’ escape, the injured soldiers and a special police officer (SPO) were transported to the Bhaderwah hospital and subsequently moved to the Army’s Command Hospital in Udhampur.
Reinforcements were dispatched to Chattergala, about 35 km from Bhaderwah, to search for the militants. Police also suspended all vehicle movement from Bhaderwah to Chattergala.
This attack closely followed a militant strike in Saida village, Kathua district, at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, which injured a civilian. Police neutralized one militant and continued to search for his accomplice.
On Sunday, militants attacked a bus in the Pouni area of Reasi district, killing nine people, including seven pilgrims, and injuring 38 others. The police have since released a sketch of one of the militants involved in the bus attack and offered a reward of Rs 20 lakh for information leading to his capture.
