Srinagar, April 20: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said he was deeply anguished by the killing of five soldiers in a terrorist attack in Poonch while vowing that their rich service to the nation will “never be forgotten”.
“I am deeply anguished by the loss of lives of brave Army personnel in a tragic incident at Poonch. Their rich service to the nation will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with the bereaved families,” he said on Twitter.
In a statement, the army’s Northern Command said that an army vehicle moving between Bhimber Gali and Poonch in the Rajauri sector was fired on by unidentified terrorists at about 3 pm.
The statement said that the vehicle caught fire due to “likely” use of grenades by terrorists, who took advantage of heavy rains and low visibility in the area.
“Five personnel of the Rashtriya Rifles Unit deployed for Counter Terrorist operations, in this area, have unfortunately lost their lives in the incident,” it said.
Another seriously injured soldier was evacuated immediately to the Army Hospital at Rajauri and is under treatment, added the statement.
