Srinagar, A significant forest fire has caused extensive damage to the Bathuni forest belt in the Rajouri district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, raising suspicions about its origins due to concurrent military activities in the area.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the fire erupted late Sunday and quickly spread across seven to eight acres, devastating local flora and fauna. Reports from eyewitnesses suggest that the blaze coincided with an Indian military search operation in the forest, ostensibly aimed at locating militants. The timing and location of the fire have sparked concerns about a possible connection to the military’s presence. Efforts by the Forest Protection Force to control the fire were successful only after considerable damage had been inflicted.
This incident has intensified scrutiny of the Indian military’s operations in sensitive environmental and residential areas of Rajouri, prompting calls for a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire.