Suicide attack on J&K Army camp: 1 from TN among 4 killed

Jammu: Terrorists attacked an Army camp in Rajouri district on Thursday killing four soldiers, including one from Tamil Nadu, and the two attackers were gunned down in the shootout after the pre-dawn suicide strike that marked the return of ‘fidayeen’ to Jammu and Kashmir after more than three years.

Both the terrorists, who are believed to be from the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed(JeM), were heavily armed with deadly ‘steel core’ bullets and were shot down after an over four-hour gun battle which started at 2 am and ended just before 6.30 am, police said. The attack came four days ahead of India’s 75th Independence Day.

The slain Army personnel were identified as Subedar Rajendra Prasad (of Maligoven village in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district), Rifleman Lakshmanan D (of T Pudupatti village in Madurai district), Rifleman Manoj Kumar (of Shahjahanpur village in Haryana’s Faridabad), and Rifleman Nishant Malik (of Adarsh Nagar village in Haryana’s Hisar).. The attack marks the return of ‘fidayeen’ to the Union territory of J and K after more than three years. The last such strike took place on February 14, 2019 at Lethpora in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday announced Rs 20 lakh solatium for the family of D Lakshmanan.

Pall of gloom descends on Madurai village

The entire Thummakundu panchayat of T Pudupatti village near Thirumangalam in Madurai district is mourning the demise of D Lakshmanan, who was killed during the gun fight. Lakshmanan joined the Army in 2019 after completing his B.Com. “It was his dream to join the Army and dedicate his life to the nation,” one of his relatives said.