Tag: Poonch

Farooq Abdullah’s remarks on Poonch terror attack unacceptable: BJP

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Jammu: A day after National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah asked security agencies not to harass innocents during their operation against the perpetrators of a recent terror attack in Poonch, the BJP on Sunday said the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister’s remarks are unacceptable as those could hamper the probe.
The saffron party also said people should also understand the “ill motives” of the NC leadership, which is trying to create a wedge between communities by misusing such critical situations.
“Abdullah accused investigation agencies of harassing common people in the name of the Poonch terror attack probe. He should not mislead people and rather ask them to join the probe to punish the culprits as soon as possible,” senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kavinder Gupta said here.

Five Army personnel were killed and one was seriously injured after their vehicle was attacked by terrorists in Poonch on Thursday. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.
“They (security agencies) have started operations in Pooch. They should not arrest innocent people. It was their mistake, they should not harass innocent people. It is wrong and it should be avoided,” Abdullah said on Saturday.
On Friday, the NC president had said the top security officials in Jammu and Kashmir should look into the lapses that led to the killing of the soldiers.
“The area (where the attack took place) is closer to the border. There must be a security issue which they need to check. There has been a mistake somewhere, they should look into it,” he had said.
Gupta said the NC leadership should ponder for a while that central agencies are probing the case of a terror attack in which five Army bravehearts have given the supreme sacrifice.

“The unfounded statements given by Abdullah in context of the Poonch attack are unacceptable as these could hamper the investigation and have the potential to alienate people from the mainstream,” he said.
The former Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister also said people should understand the “ill motives” of the NC leadership, which is trying to create a wedge between communities by misusing such critical situations.
“Those who have any knowledge about the terror strike in Poonch should come forward and become part of the probe as five countrymen have lost their precious lives while performing their duties,” he said.
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#Farooq #Abdullahs #remarks #Poonch #terror #attack #unacceptable #BJP
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 23, 2023
Poonch attack: Steel bullets capable of piercing armoured shields used

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Poonch/: The terrorists who ambushed an Army truck in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch used steel core bullets, capable of piercing an armored shield, and decamped with the soldiers’ weapons, officials said on Sunday, amid intensified efforts to trace and neutralise the perpetrators.
They said a sniper is believed to have targeted the truck from the front before the other terrorists sprayed bullets and lobbed grenades on it.
Five soldiers were killed and one injured after the terrorists attacked the lone Army truck, which was carrying eatables for iftar to a nearby village, in the dense forest area of Bhata Dhurian late on Thursday afternoon and the vehicle caught fire.

The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.
Experts from various agencies, including the National Security Guard (NSG) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), have visited the site of the attack over the past two days and have managed to get a clear picture of the deadly ambush which was laid by the terrorists, the officials said.
They said a sniper is believed to have targeted the vehicle from the front before his associates showered bullets and lobbed grenades on the vehicle from opposite sides, apparently giving the troops no time to retaliate.
The terrorists used steel core bullets that can penetrate an armoured shield, they said.
Before fleeing, the terrorists stole the soldiers’ arms and ammunition, they added.

Though the area where the attack took place is considered terrorism-free for long, the Bhata Dhurian forest area remains a notorious infiltration route for terrorists attempting to sneak into India by crossing the Line of Control (LoC) due to its topography, dense forest cover and natural caves.
In October 2021, nine soldiers were killed in two major gunfights with terrorists within four days in the forest area during a search operation that continued for over three weeks.
Thursday’s ambush was also a grim reminder of a terrorist attack on the official vehicle of a judicial magistrate over two decades ago. District and Sessions Judge V K Phool, a civilian and two police personnel were killed in the attack which took place on December 5, 2001, in the Dehra Ki Gali forests near the Bhata Dhurian forests.
The officials said over 12 people have been detained for questioning in connection with the Poonch attack but no arrests have been made so far.
Security forces are using drones and sniffer dogs to conduct a recce of the dense forest but success has eluded them so far, they said.
It is believed that the terrorists have managed to create safe hideouts in the dense forest to escape the security dragnet or may have crossed over to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, they added.
According to the officials, initial reports suggest the involvement of around five terrorists, including some foreign mercenaries, in the attack.
After the ambush, the terrorists possibly used grenades as well as sticky bombs that caused the vehicle to erupt into flames.
The officials said those who executed the attack are believed to have been in Rajouri and Poonch for more than a year and had adequate knowledge of the terrain, which is quite tough.
The area is a hotbed of Jammu and Kashmir Gaznavi Force (JKGF) as its ‘commander’ Rafiq Ahmed alias Rafiq Nayi is a resident of the area, they added.
At present, three to four terrorist groups are active in the region of Rajouri and Poonch, sources said.
Banned terror group People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a proxy wing of Jaish-e-Mohammed, has claimed responsibility for the attack. There are reports suggesting that it was the handiwork of banned Lashker-e-Taiba group also.
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#Poonch #attack #Steel #bullets #capable #piercing #armoured #shields
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 23, 2023
Poonch Attack: Traffic On NHW Restored After Three Days

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SRINAGAR: The vehicular movement on Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch highway between Bhata Dhurian and Jarran Wali Gali in Poonch district has been restored on Sunday morning after remaining closed for three days.
Traffic on highway was closed on Thursday late afternoon after militants attacked an army vehicle near Tota Gali in which five army personnel lost their lives while one is injured.
The highway was lying closed from last three days between BG and Jarran Wali Gali with traffic was diverted through Mendhar.
On Sunday morning, officials said the highway has been restored and vehicular movement has been allowed. (KNO)

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#Poonch #Attack #Traffic #NHW #Restored #Days
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

April 23, 2023
Poonch Attack: Overground Workers Under Scanner

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SRINAGAR: In the aftermath of Poonch attack, intelligence agencies are zeroing in on some local overground workers who agencies believe acted as guides to help the militants move in the dense forests of Poonch, media reports said.
The Tribune reported, that the known overground workers from Poonch, Rajouri and Reasi districts have been taken for questioning as the intelligence agencies investigating the attack believe that the dense forests of Poonch near Bhimber Gali can not be crossed without local help.
While there were inputs regarding an attack in Jammu division, there was no specific information with the Military Intelligence or the police about the same, it reported.
Agencies are trying to figure out if the militants behind the deadly attack were already present in the area or infiltrated recently.
Meanwhile, Army has increased the vigil along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch districts to stop the exfiltration of terrorists to Pakistan.
The role of the overground workers in providing the weaponry, including the China-made steel core or armour piercing bullets used in the ambush to the militants is also being investigated.
There have been incidents of Pakistan drones entering and dropping arms and ammunition in the Indian territory in the recent past. Even during the Dhangri attack in Rajouri on January 1 and 2, villagers had alleged local help to the two terrorists which the police had claimed to be from Pakistan.
A massive combing and search operation involving nearly a dozen RR companies, drones and dogs are underway at the site.

On Thursday, militants had attacked an army vehicle near Bhatta Durian, on Bhimber Gali-Surankote Road of border Poonch district. Five Army personnel were killed and another was seriously injured in the incident.

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#Poonch #Attack #Overground #Workers #Scanner
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

April 23, 2023
Poonch attack: Massive searches underway to track culprits

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Poonch: Army’s Northern Commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Sunday said that necessary action is underway against the terrorists responsible for the deadly attack on an army truck in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district that left five soldiers dead.
A massive search operation to track down the terrorists is underway in Bhata Dhurian following the ambush on the army vehicle carrying fruits and other items to a border village for an Iftar that was to be hosted by the Rashtriya Rifles unit on Thursday evening, officials said.
In a tweet on its official handle, the Army’s Northern Command shared Lt Gen Dwivedi’s visit to the Command Hospital in Udhampur and his interaction with the survivor of the terror attack.

“#LtGenUpendraDwivedi #ArmyCdrNC interacted with the survivor of the 20 Apr
23 #Poonch incident at Command Hospital #Udhampur and assured that necessary
action is underway,” read the tweet accompanied by two pictures of the soldier.
The Northern Army Commander on Saturday visited the attack site at Bhata Dhurian, an area that is a preferred infiltration route for terrorists from across the Line of Control because of its topography, dense forest cover and natural caves.
Dwivedi reviewed the security in the border area and the ongoing combing operation to track down the terrorists.
The Northern Command said in a tweet that he was briefed on the actions undertaken so far and exhorted the troops to be steadfast in their resolve.
While the search operation is underway amid a high alert in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, the traffic on Rajouri-Poonch highway was restored on Sunday morning after remaining suspended since Thursday evening, the officials said.

They said traffic was earlier diverted to other routes to secure the highway which connects the twin border districts with Jammu.
The officials said around 14-16 people have been detained for questioning.
“Among those rounded up are two couples from Degwar in Poonch – Iqbal and his wife Mudifa and Salam Din and his wife Rashida,” an official source said, adding further investigation is on.
The slain soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.
Sources earlier said the attack is suspected to have been carried out by a group of three to four terrorists.
The attackers possibly spent more than a year in Rajouri and Poonch and had adequate knowledge of the terrain, they added.
The Jammu and Kashmir Gaznavi Force (JKGF) is said to be active in the area and its “commander”, Rafiq Ahmed alias Rafiq Nayi, hails from the region.
Currently, three-four terrorist groups are active in the region of Rajouri and Poonch, the sources said.
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#Poonch #attack #Massive #searches #underway #track #culprits
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 23, 2023
Northern Army Commander Visits Attack Site In Poonch, Reviews Security

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SRINAGAR: On Saturday, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, the Northern Army Commander, visited the site of the militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, where five Indian soldiers were killed.
He reviewed the security in the border area and the ongoing combing operation to track down the militants who ambushed the Army truck on Thursday.
Top security officials, including BSF Director General S L Thaosen and ADGP Mukesh Singh, also visited the spot. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations. Security forces have launched a manhunt in the dense forest area of Bhata Dhurian to nab the militants.
A high alert has been sounded in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. Fourteen people were detained for questioning, but some have been released.

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#Northern #Army #Commander #Visits #Attack #Site #Poonch #Reviews #Security
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

April 22, 2023
Don’t Harass Innocent People In Poonch: Farooq Abdullah to Govt

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Srinagar: National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abullah Saturday asked the government to stop ‘harassing’ people in Poonch for their failures.
He said innocent people should not be harassed during the operation that has been started in Poonch district of Jammu region.
Pertinently, five Indian soldiers were killed in a militant attack in Poonch two days back. After the attack government forces have launched a massive search operation.
Farooq Abdullah after offering Eid prayers at Hazratbal Srinagar told reporters that innocent people are being arrested and then tortured. “It is their (govt’s) fault. Don’t arrest innocent people in Poonch. It should be stopped,” he said.
In response to a question, Farooq Abdullah expressed regret for not allowing Eid prayers at historic Jamia Masjid.
“It shouldn’t have happened at first place. Even Mirwaiz Umar Farooq should be released and allowed to give sermons from the pulpit so that people can benefit from his sermons,” Farooq Abdullah said. [KNT]

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#Dont #Harass #Innocent #People #Poonch #Farooq #Abdullah #Govt

( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

April 22, 2023
Odisha: Mortal remains of soldier killed in Poonch attack consigned to flames

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Bhubaneswar: The mortal remains of Indian Army jawan Debashish Biswal, who was among the five soldiers killed in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch, were consigned to flames with full military honours at his native village in Odisha’s Puri district on Saturday.
Thousands of people gathered at the crematorium in Khandayat Sahi in Sakhigopal area as Biswal’s elder brother lit the pyre.
His body reached the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar on a special Indian Air Force plane. The body was then taken to Puri in an Army convoy.

Governor Ganeshi Lal and other dignitaries paid their tributes to Biswal at the airport.
‘Debashish Amar Rahe’ slogans rented the air as the convoy with Biswal’s body travelled from Bhubaneswar to Puri.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh for Biswal’s family. He is survived by his wife Sushree Sangeeta and seven-month-old daughter.
Five Army personnel were killed and another was seriously injured on Thursday after their vehicle caught fire following the attack in the dense forest area of Bata Doriya in Poonch. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.

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#Odisha #Mortal #remains #soldier #killed #Poonch #attack #consigned #flames
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 22, 2023
Army truck attacked in Poonch was carrying fruits for Iftar; villagers decide on no Eid

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There will be no Eid-al-Fitr in Sangiote village. A pale of gloom engulfed the village after news of the Poonch terror attack reached its villagers.
“We have not celebrated Eid with any pomp and show. We just offered prayers. The people are grieved over the martyrdom of jawans, who were bringing material for our Iftar on Thursday evening,” Sangiote Sarpanch Mukhtiar Khan told PTI over the phone from his home.
Expressing solidarity with the Indian Army and the families of the jawans, he said an Iftar was scheduled in the village on Thursday evening and the jawans were ferrying vegetables, fruits and other materials in the truck from Bhimber Gali camp when they came under attack at Bhata Dhurian.

The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.
The whole village stands with the Army, Khan said.
“After Eid prayers, we are staying back at our homes and there will be no celebrations like visiting relatives, distributing sweets, wearing new clothes or taking children outside as is the practice on the first day of the festival,” he said.
Amir Khan, another villager, said after the terrorist attack they had convened a condolence meeting. “The participants were unanimous in condemning the terrorist attack and decided to restrict Eid celebrations to namaz’ only,” he said.
Saddam Hussain said a company of the Rashtriya Rifles is deployed in the village and enjoys cordial ties with the villagers. “The soldiers usually distribute fresh fruits, including watermelons, to the residents for Iftar’ and nobody had imagined such an attack on them just two days ahead of Eid,” he said.

The Bhata Dhurian forest area has for long remained a preferred infiltration route for terrorists from across the Line of Control because of its topography, dense forest cover and natural caves.
In October 2021, nine soldiers were killed in two major gunfights with terrorists within four days in the forest area during a search operation, which continued for over three weeks with no trace of terrorists.
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#Army #truck #attacked #Poonch #carrying #fruits #Iftar #villagers #decide #Eid
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 22, 2023
Don’t harass innocents in Poonch attack investigation: Farooq

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Srinagar: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said security forces should not harass innocent people during their operation against the perpetrators of the Poonch terror attack that killed five Indian Army soldiers.
“They have started operation in Pooch. They should not arrest innocent people. It was their mistake, they should not harass innocent people. It is wrong and it should be avoided, ” Abdullah told reporters after offering Eid prayers at the Hazratbal shrine here.
Five Army personnel were killed and another was seriously injured after their vehicle was attacked by terrorists in Poonch district Thursday. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.

Abdullah also expressed surprise that Eid prayers were not allowed at the Jamia Masjid.
“It is unfortunate that Eid prayers were not allowed at Jamia Masjid. I thought they were allowing the prayers there. The government is saying that situation is peaceful. Then why are they not allowing the prayers,” he said.
The former chief minister said Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who is the chief priest of Kashmir, should have been allowed to take part in the prayers.
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#Dont #harass #innocents #Poonch #attack #investigation #Farooq
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 22, 2023