Jammu: A member of the Village Defence Guard (VDG) was martyred in a clash with four terrorists at Chochru Gala, located in the Basantgarh region of Udhampur district. Despite comprehensive search efforts by the police, Army, and paramilitary forces, the assailants evaded capture, leading to the deployment of additional troops in the area.
The New Indian was informed by locals that the Basantgarh encounter marked the return of terrorism after a hiatus, as the region had not seen such activities for years, relegating it to history. The terrorists, who clashed with the VDG, seem to be part of a new infiltration, with their path through the mountains and ultimate goal still under investigation.
Terrorism in the Jammu area has been largely restricted to the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, with sporadic terrorist appearances in the neighbouring Reasi district. It is believed that only a handful of terrorists are active in the Kishtwar and Doda districts.
The authorities have resolved to station the Army in the vicinity to eradicate the terrorist threat and reinstate the local community’s sense of security.
According to reports, four terrorists visited Sewa Ram’s home in Kothi, Basantgarh, the previous night, inquiring about the route to the Chanali and Payali villages. VDG personnel detected these terrorists’ movements around 7:45 am in the Chochru Gala area and engaged them in combat. A VDG member was wounded in the firefight and later died from his injuries, while the terrorists fled.
The fallen VDG member was identified as Mohammad Sharief, son of Abdul Rehman, hailing from Khaned.
Search operations to capture the terrorists continue, with police and paramilitary forces actively scouring the region. Moreover, the Army has executed two helicopter missions to insert para-commandos into the thick forest for neutralization efforts.
This incident marks a resurgence of violence in Basantgarh, once a hotbed of terrorist activities, before being eradicated by security forces nearly two decades ago.