A joint team of security forces intensified combing and search operations on Friday in the densely forested belt of Dera ki Gali in the Poonch district to flush out terrorists responsible for the gruesome attack on moving Army vehicles. The terrorists vanished from the scene without encountering significant resistance. It is suspected that the perpetrators behind the strike are hiding in the general area or have taken shelter in a safe hideout.

Four soldiers were “killed in action,” and three others sustained injuries on Thursday when their vehicles were ambushed by a group of highly trained foreign terrorists. As of late Friday evening, the Indian Army had not released the names of the martyred soldiers. Some media outlets reported on Friday that, after targeting Army vehicles in the Dera Ki Gali area of Poonch, the terrorists mutilated the soldiers’ bodies and fled with their rifles. The Army has not issued any statement confirming this.

A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) visited the spot on Friday before launching an investigation into the case. The Indian Army also conducted aerial monitoring using helicopters and deployed sniffer dogs to track down the footprints of terrorists. Additional reinforcements were rushed to the spot to plug gaps and prevent the terrorists from fleeing the area.

Meanwhile, security agencies detained 20 residents for questioning to identify facilitators and those sheltering terrorists behind the audacious strike.

The recent surge in terrorist strikes on Army personnel in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch has raised alarm bells in the security establishment. In four recent strikes, a total of 19 Army personnel were killed in action in Rajouri and Poonch since April 2023.

According to a recent assessment by intelligence agencies, more than two dozen terrorists are active in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, taking shelter inside the thickly forested area. These terrorists may be hiding in natural caves to escape aerial reconnaissance.

Senior Army and police officials rushed to the spot to supervise combing operations. The General Officer Commanding (GoC), XVI Corps, Lt Gen Sandeep Jain, DGP J&K police RR Swain, and Inspector General of Police, Jammu range Anand Jain visited the area and reviewed the security situation.

“Indian Army and White Knight Corps salute the bravery and supreme sacrifice of four soldiers in Surankote on Thursday while fighting the scourge of terrorism,” White Knight Corps, or XVI Corps, wrote on X.