In Poonch district, a terrorist attack on military vehicles resulted in the martyrdom of five soldiers and serious injuries to two on the second day of the incident. In response, security forces have launched an investigation to trace the terrorists, interviewing more than 20 people from the nearby rural areas.
The incident occurred in the Sawani area of Poonch district, where a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Commander of the 16th Corps of the Army conducted an on-site inspection on Friday. During this, over 20 individuals from the suspicious localities were taken into custody for questioning.
Initial investigations reveal that the terrorists used steel bullets in firing after the grenade attack, causing damage to the military vehicles. Drones have been deployed in the search for the attackers, and sniffer dogs are also being used in the area.
Under the leadership of the DGP, an SSP-level officer is monitoring the evidence collected by the NIA team. Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain of the Army’s 16th Corps and DGP RR Swain reviewed the situation on the ground.
Helicopters and search dogs have been employed to locate the terrorists. After the attack, the entire dense jungle area has been under constant surveillance, and an extensive search operation is ongoing. Additionally, extra security forces have been deployed in sensitive villages, including Chamredi, Mastan Dara, Daraba, Bafliyaz, Sawani Gali, Dera ki Gali, and others.
Despite adverse conditions and sub-zero temperatures, soldiers have been stationed at the same location for over 24 hours after the attack, maintaining vigilance on duty. Five individuals with active phones during the incident have been interviewed to gather information.
During the investigation, five individuals were first interviewed, including the sons of two fathers from the village Sawani Gali. Subsequently, in the afternoon, several people from this village were also questioned. Meanwhile, the OGWs (Over Ground Workers) from Bafliyaz, including some OGWs linked to their suspicious activities, were also brought in for questioning.
Efforts are being made to ascertain details such as the number of terrorists involved in the attack on military vehicles, their whereabouts in the area, the direction they came from, and the route they took after carrying out the nefarious act. According to sources, the terrorists who attacked the military vehicles in Sawani Gali fled towards the Sawani village after committing the act.
