As authorities intensify efforts to track down the terrorists responsible for the recent Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy attack in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, several individuals have been detained for questioning, officials reported today.
The search operation, now in its second day, has seen Additional Director General of Police for Jammu, Anand Jain, alongside senior army officers and intelligence personnel, surveying the ambush site in the Surankote area. Aerial surveillance, conducted by the Army using helicopters, has also been deployed in the effort.
The attack, which occurred on Saturday evening near Shahsitar, resulted in injuries to five IAF personnel, one of whom later succumbed to their wounds at a military hospital.
Security forces have launched a coordinated operation spanning areas including Shahsitar, Gursai, Sanai, and Sheendara Top to locate and neutralize the terrorists who are believed to have fled into nearby forests post-attack. According to officials, the attackers employed a variety of weapons including AK assault rifles, a US-made M4 carbine, and steel bullets to inflict maximum damage. The fallen IAF hero has been identified as Corporal Vikky Pahade, with the Indian Air Force expressing condolences to his family via a statement. Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari, Chief of Air Staff, extended heartfelt sympathies, honoring Corporal Pahade’s sacrifice for the nation. While there has been no direct engagement with the terrorists yet, officials disclosed that several individuals have been detained for questioning in connection with the attack, marking it as the first significant incident in the Jammu region this year.
With the Lok Sabha election’s sixth phase scheduled for May 25, security measures in the district, including intensified vehicle checks, have been heightened. Poonch, part of the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency, has been historically peaceful but has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities over the past two years, particularly in border areas like Poonch and Rajouri.