Internet suspended in Rajouri, Poonch

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, December 23

The internet services were suspended in Rajouri and Poonch district on Saturday amid uproar over the death of three civilians in Bafliaz reportedly in the Army custody amid an investigation into the militant attack on Army vehicles, killing four personnel. The suspension of internet was aimed at stopping rumour-mongering and stopping the terrorists from communicating with their Pakistan handlers and other group of terrorists.

The step comes a day after it was found that a terror organisation — People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a proxy of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), which claimed responsibility of the attack — had posted photos of the attack taken from body cameras on social media platforms which is not possible without internet connection. Army suspects that some local terror associates might have provided these terrorists with mobile phones for the purpose. Senior officials in the Army and the police are tightlipped about the incident and any information about those involved in the attack.

Day three of search operation

• The search operation to nab the group of terrorists who attacked Army vehicles entered the third day. As there is no sign of terrorists in the forest areas near the ambush site, it is believed they might have escaped to other areas of Pir Panjal region.
• The Army suspects that some local terror associates have provided the terrorists with mobile phones. Security in Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi has already been tightened.

As there is no sign of terrorists in the forest areas near the ambush site, it is believed that they might have escaped to other areas of the Pir Panjal region. Security in Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi has already been tightened. The search operation to nab the group of terrorists who attacked Army vehicles entered the third day, with no sign of the militants.

Security forces, including Special Para Commandos of the Army and Special Operations Group (SOG) of the police entered dense forest areas in Dera-ki-Gali (DKG) of Poonch and Thanamandi of Rajouri where the terrorists have been probably hiding. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), choppers and dog squads are among the search teams to thwart any attempt of ambush on these teams by terrorists.

Terrorists trained in ambush of Army vehicles and jungle warfare are behind the Poonch attack that took place on Thursday, sources have informed. The terrorists had attacked two vehicles, including a Gypsy car and a truck, killing four soldiers. While some reports claim that five soldiers have been killed, there has been no confirmation by the Army on the fifth casualty. Sources in the intelligence said it could have been a group of at least 3-4 terrorists who fired on the vehicles from three different sides. A similar ambush of an Army truck had taken place on April 20 this year in which five soldiers were killed. Steel-coated bullets were used in that attack in which the terrorists fired from three different locations.

The similar modus operandi was used time and again by terrorists in Afghanistan against US forces. Top Army commanders have recently indicated that the terrorists operating in Rajouri and Poonch are possibly trained in Afghanistan. A terrorist of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), identified as Quari, was killed last month in Rajouri. Army had said he had been trained in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

It has been reliably learnt that theterrorists operating in Rajouri and Poonch have been trained by the Pakistan army in IED explosion, ambush and jungle warfare. These terrorists can sustain inside dense forest areas for months.