New Delhi [India], May 5 : The spectre of terrorism surfaced again in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday with the Army engaged in an encounter with Pakistan-backed terrorists in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir with the incident taking place on a day Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is in Goa to take part in the SCO meet.
Five soldiers lost their lives in the anti-terror operation in the Kandi area of Rajouri on Thursday.
In his opening remarks at the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa on Friday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed concern at terrorism including cross-border terrorism. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari arrived in Goa on Thursday, the first such visit by a Pakist foreign minister to India in nearly 12 years.
India has consistently raised the issue of Pakistan's continued support to cross-border terrorism and terrorist infiltration. India has also said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have borne the brunt of this terrorism campaign for decades and continue to do so.
The encounter with terrorists in Rajouri is taking place in a thickly vegetated area with rocky and steep cliffs.
"On specific information about the presence of terrorists in the Kandi Forest in the Rajouri Sector, a joint operation was launched on May 3, 2023. At about 7:30 am on May 5, 2023, a search team established contact with a group of terrorists well entrenched in a cave. The area is thickly vegetated with rocky and steep cliffs," the official release stated.
As per initial reports, a group of terrorists are trapped in the area. There is a likelihood of casualties in a terrorist group," the Army said.
"Three more soldiers who were injured earlier have unfortunately succumbed to their injuries. A total of five soldiers have lost their lives in the joint operation in Rajouri, J&K," it added.
On April 20, an Army vehicle passing Bhimber Gali and Poonch in the Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir was fired upon, by unidentified terrorists, which led to the death of five soldiers.
As per sources, the terrorists were suspected to have been from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
In his remarks at the SCO meeting, Jaishankar said that while the world was engaged in facing COVID and its consequences, the menace of terrorism continues unabated.
"Taking our eyes of this menace would be detrimental to our security interests. We firmly believe that there can be no justification for terrorism and it must be stopped in all its forms and mfestations, including cross-border terrorism," he said.
Jaishankar said the channel of finances for terrorist activities must be seized and blocked without distinction.
"Members need not be reminded that combating terrorism is one of the original mandates of the SCO," he said.
In his remarks, Bilawal Bhutto also talked about terrorism but said it should be "weaponised" for diplomatic point scoring
He said terrorism continues to threaten global security and that collective security is joint responsibility.
"Let's not get caught up in weaponising terrorism for diplomatic point scoring," he said.
India has said that talks and terror cannot go together and it is for Pakistan to create conducive atmosphere for bilateral talks.
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