Drones, choppers deployed after Butapathri ambush

Srinagar, Oct 25: To track down militants involved in the Butapathri attack, security forces Friday deployed drones and helicopters while launching massive searches along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Gulmarg sector of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

This action follows an attack that claimed the lives of four persons, including two soldiers and two civilian porters, on Thursday.

The attack targeted an Army vehicle travelling through the Butapathri area, 6 km from the tourist destination of Gulmarg, officials said.

The Army denied the reports of death of any other soldier.

PRO Defence in Srinagar said that two soldiers and two Army porters had been killed.

After remaining suspended for the night in the wake of darkness, joint searches involving the Army, Police, and Paramilitary forces were initiated early Friday morning along the LoC and in the surrounding areas.

Helicopters and drones were mobilised to assist security forces in locating the attackers and securing the area.

Officials said that both human intelligence and technical surveillance inputs were being utilised to track the militant group, which is suspected to have recently infiltrated from across the LoC and sought refuge in the higher reaches of the Affarwat range near the attack site.

This range has, in the past, served as a challenging zone for search operations due to its difficult terrain and dense foliage.

Senior officers from the Army and Police are closely monitoring the operation, which has been expanded to nearby areas to prevent further movement of the attackers.

Security forces have sealed all possible escape routes around the site of the attack, making it difficult for the suspects to cross back or find support from local sympathisers.

In response to the security incident, authorities temporarily suspended the Gondola ropeway service in Gulmarg, a move intended to ensure the safety of tourists and facilitate uninterrupted searches.

Although the Gondola service later resumed after security assessments, tourists were advised to avoid the Butapathri area, which was recently opened to the public but remains a high-security zone due to its proximity to the Line of Control and sensitive Army installations.

The overall tourist movement to Gulmarg, however, has been reportedly unaffected, with security forces assuring that adequate measures were in place.

Two to four terrorists carried out the attack on the Army truck in the Butapathri area of Baramulla district on Thursday evening and the driver was the first casualty.

Greater Kashmir learnt from credible sources in the security establishment the terrorists ambushed the Army vehicle, resulting in the deaths of two soldiers and two civilian porters.

An additional porter and soldier sustained injuries and were promptly evacuated for medical care. The identity and affiliation of the attackers remain under investigation, but sources indicate a well-coordinated strike typical of Pakistan-backed militant groups operating in J&K.

The sources said that two vehicles of 18 Rashtriya Rifles were moving and the first one came under heavy fire.

“The militants attacked the vehicle from the front and the right side,” a senior official of the security forces said. “The first casualty was the driver of the vehicle.”

He said that the vehicles were on their way to some forward posts.

“It was not the area of jurisdiction of 18 RR. They were moving to some forward post when the attack took place,” the officer said. “When the vehicle - Army truck - came under heavy fire, the driver lost control and the vehicle skidded off the road.”

He said: “The soldiers in another vehicle chased the militants and left behind a weapon and a rucksack and escaped into dense forests by going through a stream.”

The officer said that the injured were removed to the hospital, however, four of them died before they arrived at the medical facility.

Sources in the security establishment said that the attack on the Army vehicle occurred as it was en- route to the Nagin post in the Afrawat range, an area known for its strategic importance due to its proximity to the LoC and high-altitude training facilities.

The prestigious High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS), located just a few kilometers away, has heightened its security in response to the attack.

The school plays a critical role in training Army personnel in mountain warfare and is a primary training ground before deployment in the treacherous conditions of Siachen Glacier.