An initial inquiry into the Poonch terror assault in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, which killed five Rashtriya Rifles jawans and wounded one, uncovered the involvement of no less than seven Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) groups. This is the fourth instance in which Indian Army personnel have been killed in the Poonch-Rajouri region.
The incident occurred 7 km from Bhimber Gali along the Line of Control (LoC) in a densely wooded region on the Indian side of the LoC. There were sophisticated indications that confirmed the presence of terrorists from Pakistan in the region. The terrorists were lurking in the forests, ready for a convoy ambush.
According to Jammu and Kashmir Police, the terrorists attacked the RR jawans in the vehicle using rocket-propelled grenades and assault guns.
It’s unclear whether the truck caught fire as a result of a direct RPG attack or was set on fire by terrorists after the Indian policemen were gunned down.
While Nagrota-based 16 Core has begun a large manhunt for terrorists in the area, the incident is directly related to Pakistan’s opposition to the G20 summit in Srinagar in May. The Pakistani government has pushed G20 nations, notably its ‘iron-brother’ China, to boycott the summit during the last month.
“Pakistan’s deep state purposefully planned the incident to incite violence in Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh.” and purposefully instilled panic among G20 delegates,” stated a senior J&K official.
