J&K: Army Beefs Up Security In Poonch After IAF Soldier's Death In Terror Attack — Top Points

Indian Army undertakes tight security checks in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, following a terrorist attack on an Indian Air Force vehicle convoy yesterday.

Security personnel stand guard after a militant attack on army vehicles, in Poonch district.

Source : PTI Images

Tightened security checks by Indian Army personnel in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir were observed on Sunday morning following a recent terrorist attack on an Indian Air Force vehicle convoy yesterday. One of the five injured soldiers succumbed to his injuries. The attack comes just three weeks before polling in the Anantang-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituencies.

#WATCH | Poonch, J&K: Morning visuals of tight security checking by Indian Army personnel in the Poonch district.

An Indian Air Force vehicle convoy was attacked by terrorists in the Poonch district yesterday. One of the five Indian Air Force soldiers injured in the terrorist… pic.twitter.com/PObk4ddGkH

— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2024

Here's a rundown of the latest developments so far: 

1. The incident has prompted heightened vigilance and security measures in the region. News agency ANI posted visuals of the same on X. 
2. Five security personnel, two of whom were in critical condition, were wounded when four terrorists opened fire on an IAF vehicle en route to Sanai Top in Poonch’s Surankot area on Saturday evening. 
3. One of the injured soldiers succumbed to his injuries at a military hospital while undergoing treatment, officials confirmed. “In the Poonch district of J-K, near Shahsitar, militants targetted an Indian Air Force vehicle convoy. Presently, local military units are conducting cordon and search operations in the area,” stated IAF in a post on X. 
4. “In the ensuing gunfight with terrorists, the Air Warriors fought back by returning fire. In the process, five IAF personnel received bullet injuries and were evacuated to the nearest military hospital for immediate medical attention. One Air Warrior succumbed to his injuries later. Further operations are on by the local security forces,” IAF said in another post. 
5. The attack occurred around 6:15 PM as the troops were returning from Jaranwali to the air force station. 
6. According to a PTI report, officials suspect the involvement of the same terrorist group responsible for ambushing troops in neighbouring Bufliaz on December 21 last year, in which four soldiers were killed and three others were injured. 
7. One of the trucks in the IAF convoy bore the brunt of the attack, with several bullets striking its windscreen and side, the PTI report said. The armed terrorists, equipped with AK assault rifles, reportedly fled into nearby forests following the assault. 
8. Reinforcement from the Army and police were dispatched to the area, a large-scale search and cordon operation was carried out to locate and neutralise the terrorists. According to the latest PTI report, there has been no trace of the fleeing assailants. 
9. Police, aided by parliamentary forces, had been conducting searches in Poonch town since Friday following intelligence inputs regarding suspicious movements. However, no arrests were made during the operation.
10. Notably, Poonch falls within the jurisdiction of the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency, slated for polling in the sixth phase on May 25. 

READ | Jammu-Kashmir: IAF Soldier Dead, 4 More Injured As Terrorists Attack Security Vehicles In Poonch As Search Ops Launched

A Timeline Of Terror Attacks In Poonch 

The border district of Poonch, along with adjacent Rajouri, has witnessed several major terrorist attacks in the past two years. This phase has indicated a resurgence of terrorism in the region, which had remained peaceful between 2003 and 2021. 

The recent incident in the Pir Panjal region follows the killing of government employee Mohd Razaq in Rajouri’s Kunda Top on April 22, and village defence guard Mohd Sharief in Udhampur’s Basantgarh area on April 28, both by terrorists. 

Police had circulated the photographs of two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including suspected Pakistani national Abu Hamzam involved in Razaq’s murder, offering a reward of Rs 10 Lakh for information leading to their arrest. 

The Bufliaz ambush in December last year occurred weeks after a major skirmish in Rajouri’s Dharmsal belt of Bajimaal forest, five army personnel, including two captains, were killed. 

During the two-day gunfight, two terrorists, including top LeT commander Quari, were also killed. Notably, he was identified as the mastermind behind several attacks, including the killings of civilians and Army personnel in the district. 

The region between Dhera Ki Gali and Bufliaz, along the Rajouri-Poonch border, is densely forested and connects to charmer forests and Bhata Dhurian forests, where five soldiers were ambushed in an attack on an Army vehicle on April 20 last year. 

In May last year, five Amry personnel were killed and a major-ranked officer injured in Charmer forest, In 2022, five Army personnel were killed when terrorists carried out a suicide attack on their camp at Pargal in Rajouri district. 

In 2021, nine soldiers were killed in two separate attacks by terrorists in the forested region. 

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