Army Chief to visit Jammu to review ongoing counter-terrorist ops in Rajouri-Poonch

Jammu : Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande will visit Jammu on Monday to review ongoing counter-terrorist operations in Rajouri and Poonch sectors, where 4 soldiers were killed in a terror attack.

Official sources told the news agency that General Pande will review the security situation that prevailed amid the ongoing counter-terrorist operations in the Poonch and Rajouri sectors.

His visit comes after the four soldiers were killed and three were injured in an ambush by terrorists on two Army vehicles in Poonch on December 21.

Earlier, in the day the army paid tributes to soldiers Naik Birender Singh, Rifleman Gautam Kumar, Naik Karan Kumar, and Rifleman Chandan Kumar, during a wreath-laying ceremony in Rajouri.

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi led the wreath-laying ceremony at a military camp where their mortal remains were shifted.

Lt Gen Dwivedi interacted with the next of kin of the slain soldiers. Later, their mortal remains were sent to their hometowns in Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, a search operation to track down the terrorists continues near the attack scene. Officials said a massive search operation continued in Surankote and nearby Thanamandi forest area of Rajouri for the 5th day today.

Following the killing of 4 soldiers in the terror attack, three civilians also died after they were picked up by forces for questioning with government and army ordering separate probe into the matter.

The government also announced compensation and jobs to the families of three civilians who died in the aftermath of the terror attack—(KNO)