Militant Attack in Poonch Claims Life of an IAF Soldier, Injures Four

A tragic incident unfolded in the border district of Poonch when a convoy of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was ambushed by militants, resulting in the death of one soldier and injuries to four others.

The IAF released a statement detailing the attack, which took place near Shahsitar in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. Local military units are currently conducting cordon and search operations in the area. The convoy has been secured and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

The IAF personnel retaliated against the militant gunfire, during which five of them were wounded. They were immediately transported to the nearest military hospital for treatment. Unfortunately, one of the injured soldiers later succumbed to his injuries. Local security forces are continuing with further operations.

The convoy was reportedly passing through Mendhar, near the Line of Control (LOC) in the Surankote Sector area of the Jammu division, when it came under intense militant fire. 

The wounded soldiers were moved to the Northern Command military hospital at Udhampur for medical attention. Images of the attacked IAF truck reveal a windshield riddled with bullet holes and shattered windows on the driver's side, suggesting that the terrorists had surrounded the road from three sides.

Additional forces, including the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of the Indian Army, the special operations group (SOG) of the J&K Police, and central para-military forces, have cordoned off the area.

This incident marks the first significant attack on the armed forces in the border region this year, following several soldier casualties due to terrorist attacks last year.

The area has been cordoned off by security forces and a search operation is currently underway.