In another incident of violence in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), five soldiers were killed and another seriously injured in a terror attack on April 20 in the Rajouri-Poonch sector, close to the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu division. Have become. Initial reports suggested that the terrorists – their number and affiliation were not immediately known – attacked an army vehicle, which was on anti-insurgency patrol between Bhimber Gali-Poonch in Rajouri sector, in bad weather. The attack comes at a time when J&K is working diligently to host the G-20 Tourism Working Group meeting in May. Separately, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is likely to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Goa next month, raising the prospect of new India-Pakistan ties. The attack raises questions over the management of patrolling in sensitive spots in the region, which has seen an increase in militant violence in recent days, including a terror attack on a village on January 1 this year, in which seven civilians were killed . The fact that the Army vehicle was on the unaccompanied drive and remained unattended immediately after the attack is a matter of serious concern.
Images of an army vehicle on fire and charred bodies have brought back memories and visuals of the Pulwama attack in 2019. On February 14 that year, a convoy of buses with Central Reserve Police Force personnel was on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. A suicide bomber in a car full of explosives managed to breach the security in Lethpora area of Pulwama. Forty personnel lost their lives in a terror attack that shook the political class, military establishment and the nation. With Indian intelligence agencies pointing to the role of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), India sent its fighter jets across the Line of Control to attack JeM’s training camps in Pakistan’s Balakot, causing casualties and killing people there. Terror infrastructure destroyed. India’s strong response to cross-border terrorism was noticed internationally, and soon became a campaign theme during the Lok Sabha elections. However, the terror emanating from Pakistan has not subsided, which is evident from the escalating violence in Jammu and Kashmir over the past three years, especially after the government decided to end the region’s semi-autonomous status on August 5, 2019. After. In a recent interview, the then Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has brought forth fresh questions about the intent of the political class on the issue of terrorism in the country. Perhaps it is time for India to review its strategy in Kashmir, which includes the current moratorium on talks with Pakistan.