Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday held a security review meeting with Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande, national security adviser Ajit Doval and senior central security officials in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the killing of four army men in Poonch in a terrorist attack.

The role of some senior army officials is also under the scanner for allegedly torturing to death three Poonch residents in a bid to avenge the militant ambush that killed four soldiers and injured three. The army has already ordered a court of inquiry and removed three officials, including a brigadier pending an inquiry.

The recent killings of security officials in terrorist attacks especially in the Rajouri-Poonch region over the past months are yet again being seen as a setback to the government’s claims of normality and its “all-is-well” narrative in Kashmir since the abrogation of its special status under Article 370.

According to sources, Shah during the security review meeting underlined the need for complete area domination and better coordination among police, army and CRPF in Jammu and Kashmir to strengthen the security mechanism.

“The home minister also stressed on improving local intelligence in the wake of recurring terror attacks on security officials,” said a home ministry official, adding that the recurring terror attacks also raised a major concern among security agencies.

On December 21, four army soldiers were killed and three injured in a terrorist attack on two army vehicles in Poonch. In November last year, four army personnel including two officers (Captains) were killed in an encounter with terrorists in Rajouri district.

In April and May 2023, as many as 10 soldiers were killed in action in twin attacks in the Rajouri-Poonch region.