J&K: Soldier Injured in Tral Attack; Army Camp Targeted in Poonch

A Territorial Army soldier was shot and injured by suspected militants in the Tral area of south Kashmir on Wednesday evening, December 4, just hours after an army camp was targeted in Poonch district.

The victim identified as Delair Mushtaq Sofi, a resident of Khanagund village in Pulwama district, had recently returned home on leave to spend time with his family.

According to a senior police officer, Sofi was traveling in a car near his home when the assailants fired upon him. The number of attackers remains unclear. The militants quickly fled the scene, and Sofi was immediately evacuated by local police, assisted by residents, to a nearby hospital. He sustained two bullet wounds to his right leg but is reported to be in stable condition. A search operation was promptly launched in the area to track down the perpetrators.

Block Medical Officer Dr. Zahoor Ahmad Bhat confirmed that Sofi was later transferred to an army hospital for further treatment. Sofi is currently posted with the 29 Rashtriya Rifles in north Kashmir’s Pattan. The newly formed militant group, The Kashmir Strikers, has claimed responsibility for the attack, which is the second of its kind in recent months. On October 8, a Territorial Army rifleman was abducted and killed by militants in Kokernag, south Kashmir, during a security operation.

The Tral attack occurred shortly after suspected militants lobbed grenades at an army post in Poonch district’s Surankote area, located along the Line of Control. The grenades, while causing a loud explosion, did not result in any damage. A second grenade failed to detonate and was safely defused by a bomb disposal squad. Following the incident, a massive search operation was launched by the army and police to apprehend the militants responsible.

These attacks come just a day after a significant operation in Srinagar, where security forces gunned down a top militant of The Resistance Front, a faction believed to be linked to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Junaid Ahmad Bhat, a key commander, was involved in the deadly assault on an Apco Infra construction company base in Ganderbal district in October, which led to the deaths of seven workers, including a doctor. The ongoing search for militants in Srinagar's Harwan locality entered its third day, with security forces cautiously combing dense forests to avoid collateral damage.

This year, at least 63 militants have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir, reflecting a sharp rise in insurgency-related violence. In addition, 31 civilians have lost their lives, marking the deadliest year in the region in the past three years. The insurgency, which was once confined to the Kashmir valley, has spread to the Jammu region following the revocation of Article 370. Official reports show that militant attacks have occurred in eight out of ten districts of Jammu, claiming the lives of both security personnel and civilians, including Hindu pilgrims.

The string of attacks underscores the growing volatility in the region, with militant groups intensifying their efforts against both military and civilian targets.