SRINAGAR: A day after four soldiers were killed and three others injured in terror attack on two of their vehicles, the Army and police have launched a massive manhunt to track down the assailants in Dera Ki Gali forest and its adjoining areas in border district of Rajouri in J&K.
Drones and Army helicopters are being used to pinpoint the militants. A security official said army men assisted by para-commandos have launched a massive search in DKG and adjoining forest area. Policemen too have also joined the operation.
“The operation is on in the dense forest area, where natural caves can provide safe hideouts to the militants. The Army is using drones, quadcopters and sniffer dogs to pinpoint the location of the militants involved in yesterday’s deadly ambush on army vehicles,” he said. The official said so far no contact has been established with the militants.
General officer Commanding (GoC) of Army’s 16 Corps, Lt Gen Sandeep Jain, J&K police chief RR Swain and an NIA team visited the ambush site to take stock of the situation. The GoC and Swain took feedback from the security officials present on the ground about the search operation
With the searches going on, the authorities have closed Thanamandi-Buffliaz road connecting Rajouri with neighbouring Poonch district for civilian traffic and people have been asked to use the Bhimber Gali Road. Sources said two local youth, who lived near the ambush site, have been picked for questioning. They suspect that at least three militants, possibly well trained Pakistani nationals, were involved in the attack.
Sources said security agencies are investigating whether militants used steel coated bullets to pierce the Bullet Proof vests of the Army men in the attack. The steel coated bullets were used by militants in the April 20 attack on an army vehicle in Bhata Dhurian forest area in Poonch district. Over 35 soldiers have been killed in encounters with terrorists in the twin districts in the last two years.