Poonch Terror Attack: At Least 12 Held In Massive Manhunt For Terrorists So Far. Top Points

From the arrest of 12 people to the massive manhunt for terrorists, here are the top points that summarise everything that has happened since the Poonch attack.

Five Army personnel were killed and another was seriously injured on Thursday after their vehicle caught fire following the attack. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terrorism operations. 

On Friday, top army and police officials laid wreaths and paid tribute to the soldiers: Havildar Mandeep Singh of Chankoian village in Ludhiana (Punjab), Lance Naik Kulwant Singh of Charik village in Moga district (Punjab), Sepoy Harkrishan Singh of Talwandi village in Gurdaspur district (Punjab), and Sepoy Sewak Singh of Bagha village in Bathinda district (Punjab).

The mortal remains were returned to their homes, PTI reported. 

From the detention of 12 people to the massive manhunt for terrorists, here is a rundown of key events that have occurred since the Poonch attack:

At Least 12 Held For Questioning: 

At least 12 people were detained for questioning on Friday in connection with the deadly ambush of five army soldiers in the dense forest area of Bata Doriya in Poonch, even as a MI helicopter, drones, and sniffer dogs were deployed in a massive manhunt for the perpetrators of yesterday's attack.

Officials told PTI that those detained were being questioned at various levels by security forces in order to determine the identity of the terror group, which has been active in the area for more than a year and is likely to include a sniper.

Senior Officers Visit The Site: 

Dilbag Singh, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, and Additional Director General of Police Mukesh Singh were camping in the neighbouring Rajouri district a day after the attack to oversee the investigation. The two officers also went to the location.

A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was also present, led by a Deputy Inspector General rank officer, as the agency is expected to take over the investigation, PTI reported. 

Findings Of Initial Reports: 

According to preliminary reports, five terrorists were present, and the army truck was attacked from three different directions. Following the ambush, the terrorists may have used grenades as well as sticky bombs to set fire to the vehicle.

According to media reports, 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 is quite difficult.

Three to four terrorist groups are currently active in the Rajouri and Poonch region, PTI reported citing officials.

Traffic Conditions Of The Region: 

For the second day in a row, vehicular traffic was suspended on the national highway between Bhimber Gali and Jarran Wali Gali.

As its 'commander' Rafiq Ahmed alias Rafiq Nayi, a resident of the area, the area is a hotbed of Jammu and Kashmir Gaznavi Force (JKGF). The densely forested area of Tota-Gali-Bata Doriya has been cordoned off.