Around 30 Pakistani terrorists suspected to be active in Rajouri-Poonch sector: Defence sources
Dec 22, 2023
New Delhi [India], December 22 : Pakistan is trying to revive terrorism in the Rajouri-Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir as around 25-30 Pakistani terrorists are suspected to be hiding in the forest areas of the region, defence sources said on Friday.
The sources said the plan to revive terrorist activities in the area is part of a greater game plan by Pakistan and China to pressurise the Indian Army to remove troops from the Ladakh sector and redeploy forces in this area.
"There is a larger game plan by the Pakistan-China nexus to not allow India to ease out of the Jammu and Kashmir sector and deploy troops on the China border, especially in the Ladakh sector, where the PLA and Indian forces have been in a standoff for the last three years now," they said.
India moved the Uniform Force of Rashtriya Rifles from the Poonch sector to Ladakh to counter Chinese aggression in 2020 as part of rebalancing and put pressure on the PLA to match Indian strength.
Sources said that around 25-30 Pakistani terrorists have been hiding in the upper reaches of the Poonch Rajouri sector in a forested area to launch attacks on security forces.
Over the last years since the Uniform Force left for Ladakh operations, Pakistan has started sending its own terrorists from Pakistan to the area to carry out attacks against Indian troops in an attempt to force India to redeploy its own troops in the area.
The Indian Army had recently moved in one more brigade to counter terrorist activities and has achieved success in the area.
Earlier on Thursday evening, four Army personnel were killed while three others were injured in the forest area of Dera ki Gali in the Rajouri district after two Army vehicles were ambushed by heavily armed terrorists.
The terrorists ambushed two Army vehicles carrying troops in Thanamandi, Rajouri.
