Poonch Attack: Jaish Offshoot Claims Responsibility As NIA, Army Team Launch Search Ops

Security personnel launched a massive search operation in the forest area of Rajouri district to trace the terrorists who ambushed the Army vehicles.

Army personnel stand guard near the site where two Army vehicles were ambushed by terrorists on Thursday ( Image Source :PTI )

People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), an offshoot of Pakistani terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed, claimed responsibility for the attack on two Army vehicles in J&K's Poonch district, killing four jawans. On Friday, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) team reached J&K as security personnel launched a massive search operation in the forest area of Rajouri district to trace the terrorists who ambushed the Army vehicles, ANI reported.

The cordon and search operation has been launched in the forest area of Dera ki Gali with ground as well as aerial support. 

This is the second major incident involving the Army in Poonch district this year. In April, five soldiers of the Rashtriya Rifles Unit were killed and several others injured after militants opened fire and hurled grenades at an Army vehicle in Bhimber Gali area of Poonch.

Poonch Encounter: What We Know So Far

• A militant outfit, PAFF has claimed responsibility for the attack on Army vehicles in the Dera Ki Gali (DKG) area in Bafliaz. The PAFF, which has been involved in radicalisation of J&K youth, was declared a "terrorist organisation" by the Home Ministry earlier this year.
• ANI reported that some local suspects have been detained by the Army from Dera Ki Gali for investigation.
• On Friday morning, General officer Commanding (GoC), XVI corps, Lt Gen Sandeep Jain visited the ambush site and reviewed the situation with top Army and police officers, PTI reported.
• The Dhera Ki Gali (DKG) Road has been closed for traffic. Additional troops have been deployed in the area to nab the terrorists.
• Helicopters have also been pressed into service and sniffer dogs are being used to track down the terrorists.
• An Army official said the terrorists were heavily armed and are believed to have been three to four in number. He said the terrorists took position on hill tops and chose a blind curve to target the Army truck and jeep, PTI reported.
• Several outfits like the Jammu Statehood Organisation held anti-Pakistan protests in the city and burnt effigies.
• The attack was condemned by political parties as well as defence experts. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said India stood united against the scourge of terrorism.
• Captain Anil Gaur (retd) said through such incidents, Pakistan was trying to revive terrorism in the region. "There is some fault in how we are dealing with terrorism. It is time to strengthen intelligence and security setup of the region and eliminate all terrorists in difficult areas. There are caves," he told PTI.