Attack on Army in Poonch
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 26: In a significant development in the Poonch ambush probe, a man detained by security forces has told them he “sheltered” the militants for two months and provided them support for the April 20 attack.
Five Army bravehearts sacrificed their lives and another was seriously injured after their vehicle was attacked by militants in Poonch last Thursday. A massive search and cordon operation was launched after the attack and it has now spread to 12 areas across the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri.
A total of 60 people have been detained so far, with sources claiming one of them — named Nasir Ahmed — allegedly told the investigators that he sheltered the militants at his house for more than two months and provided them logistic and material support in Mendhar.
Some of the detainees were let off after questioning, they said.
Special forces are also engaged in the search operation, the sources said, adding the agencies are backed by drones, sniffer dogs and metal detectors.
A large spread of forest areas, deep gorges, natural caves and dense growths have been searched and the operation is now covering other places, they said.
Meanwhile, Northern Command chief Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi took stock of the search operation which entered its sixth day today. “He interacted with the troops deployed in remote areas and exhorted them to be innovative and relentless in their pursuit,” the Northern Command tweeted.
This was the second visit of the Army Commander to the border districts within five days.
Earlier on April 22, Lt Gen Dwivedi had visited the attack site at Bhatta Durrian, a notorious infiltration route for militants from across the Line of Control because of its topography, dense forest cover and natural caves.
The troops involved in the operation are exercising utmost caution as the militants may have planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the densely forested area with deep gorges and caves, they added.
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