Local Who Gave 'Shelter' To Poonch Attack Terrorists Traced, Detained

The security forces traced and detained a local named Nisar Ahmad as the massive search operation entered its sixth day.

In a significant breakthrough in the recent Poonch attack investigation, the security forces traced and detained the local, on Wednesday, who provided shelter to the terrorists who killed five Army soldiers, according to IANS. The security forces traced and detained a local named Nisar Ahmad as the massive search operation entered its sixth day. Nisar had provided shelter to the terrorists for more than two months before they carried out the attack on April 20.

"The leads to trace the harbourer of the terrorists came through questioning of 50 people detained during the search operation”, sources told IANS.

"After sustained interrogation, Nasir Ahmad confessed that he sheltered the terrorists for more than two months prior to the attack on the Army personnel," they added.

As per IANS, Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Army's Udhampur headquartered Northern Command, reviewed the progress of the search operation for the second time on Wednesday.

The massive search operation is spread over large areas of Poonch and Rajouri districts, including dense forest with thick foliage, natural caves and gorges.

Authorities said those who executed the attack must have stayed in Rajouri and Poonch for more than a year because they had sufficient knowledge of the area.

The terrorists ambushed an Army truck on April 20 using steel core bullets and stole the soldiers’ weapons. Five soldiers were killed and one was left injured in the terrorist attack on the lone Army truck. The incident took place when the truck was transporting eatables.

According to officials, the terrorists used grenades and sticky bombs to set the vehicle on fire. They further said the terrorists also used steel core bullets with the ability to pierce through the armoured trucks. Officials further stated the terrorists stole the soldiers' arms and ammunition before fleeing the spot.

A lesser-known offshoot of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) terror outfit calling itself People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) had owned responsibility for the attack.