July has been a trying month for India’s security forces in Jammu, with nine casualties in the first three weeks. The recent spate of terror attacks in a region that had been declared ‘militancy-free’ some 15 years back has the Indian security establishment scrambling for a tough response. The count this year is already inching up to the number of casualties suffered in all of 2023 (20 deaths), with army sources now even suspecting the involvement of the Pakistan army’s elite SSG (Special Service Group). Besides Poonch and Rajouri, there have also been attacks in Kathua, Udhampur and Doda. The latest incident was the killing of four soldiers, including a captain, in the Dessa hills of Doda on July 15.
