J&K: 12 detained so far in Poonch terror attack
What's the story
At least 12 individuals were detained for questioning on Friday in relation to the deadly ambush of five Army soldiers in the dense forest region of Bata Doriya in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir. According to the news agency PTI, drones, sniffer dogs, and a MI helicopter were also deployed in a massive search operation to track down the perpetrators involved in Thursday's attack.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Five army personnel were killed on Thursday, and another was injured seriously after their vehicle caught fire during an attack. As per reports, the army personnel was from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terrorism operations. Notably, the incident took place near the site of a 2021 encounter that lasted for weeks. It was the Army's longest counter-terrorist operation since 2009.
Details
Detained individuals being interrogated by security forces
Per officials, those detainees were interrogated by security forces to determine the identity of the terror group, which is believed to be active in the area for over a year and allegedly includes a sniper. Furthermore, the Director General of J&K Police, Dilbag Singh, and the Additional Director General of Police, Mukesh Singh, are camping in the neighboring Rajouri district to oversee the probe.
More details
Possible links to terror outfit Jammu and Kashmir Ghaznavi Force
Officials also claimed that those who carried out the attack were present in Rajouri and Poonch for more than a year and had adequate knowledge of the terrain, which they claimed is quite difficult. Additionally, the area is a Jammu and Kashmir Ghaznavi Force (JKGF) hotbed as its "commander" Rafiq Ahmed alias Rafiq Nayi is reportedly a resident of the area.
Know more
Details on Poonch terror attack
The attack happened at approximately 3:00pm near the Bhimber Gali Sector's Bhata Durian Forest when terrorists fired upon the Army truck carrying soldiers. Reportedly, five terrorists were present, and the army truck was attacked from three directions. The attackers are suspected of setting fire to the vehicle using sticky bombs and grenades.
Eid
Truck was carrying fruits for iftar
According to the latest reports, the truck was carrying fruits and other items for an iftar gathering scheduled to take place in Sagiote later that evening. In light of the tragic event, residents of Sangiote village have decided not to celebrate Eid on Saturday because the village was the destination of the ill-fated Army truck that was ambushed on Thursday, killing five soldiers.
Further information
Indian Army reveals identity of fallen soldiers
On Friday, top police and army officials laid wreaths and paid homage to all the five soldiers who lost their lives in the terror attack. As per the Indian Army, the martyrs have been identified as Lance Naik Debashish Baswal, Havildar Mandeep Singh, Lance Naik Kulwant Singh, Sepoy Sewak Singh, and Sepoy Harkrishan Singh.