SRINAGAR: Three persons were reported dead in the area where militants attacked the two army vehicles on Thursday. The cause of death was not immediately known. The three were identified as Safeer Hussain son of Wazir Hussain aged 37, Mohammed Showkat son of Nazir Hussain aged 26 and Shabir Ahmed aged 32.
Poonch Deputy Commissioner Choudhary Mohammad Yasin and Senior Superintendent of Police Vinay Kumar reached Bufliaz following the reports of the deaths of the three men while Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar is also heading for Surankote, the officials said.
Residents in Bafliaz, have alleged that the trio were among ten civilians detained for investigations. Reports said the three civilians were declared dead upon reaching the hospital. The cause of death was not immediately known. Efforts to get details from the local administration failed as nobody picked up the phone.
Earlier in the day, a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) visited the encounter site in Poonch, where five soldiers were killed and three were injured by militants in an ambush. The attack occurred on Thursday evening in the forest area of Dera ki Gali, when heavily armed militants ambushed two Army vehicles, resulting in the death of five soldiers and injuries to two others.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police have started investigations into the attack and the police chief RR Swain visited the spot of the attack. So far, reports appearing in media said the police have detained two residents for questioning, suspecting them of having information about the attack. They were living near the spot of the attack, reports added.
Federal investigator, NIA had sent a specialised team led by a Deputy Inspector General as well as a Superintendent of Police rank officer who will be monitoring the findings of the visit to the spot.
A massive cordon and search operation, involving sniffer dogs and drones, has been launched in the densely forested area. The Thanamandi-Buffliaz road has been closed, and additional reinforcements have been deployed.
The attackers believed to be three or four militants, strategically positioned themselves on hilltops to ambush Army vehicles. This incident aligns with a trend of fewer but more impactful terror attacks in the southern areas of Pir Panchal compared to Kashmir.
Reports appearing in the media suggest that the assailants have showcased the use of sophisticated US-made M4 carbine assault rifles. The M4 carbine, known for its accuracy and manoeuvrability, has been previously recovered in the region. Similar weapons had earlier been recovered in Jammu and Kashmir as well.
After the Thursday attack, the paramilitary CRPF issued an advisory for its soldiers asking them to wear bullet-proofs, avoid “blind trust” in any input and ensure the standard operations procedure is followed.
