Security agencies suspect that around 6 to 7 terrorists were involved in the attack. The Indian Army has deployed several special forces teams in the Rajouri-Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir along with drones and helicopters to hunt down the terrorists

Poonch: The Indian Army launched a massive manhunt on Friday to nab the terrorists involved in Thursday’s attack on a military vehicle that claimed the lives of five soldiers.

The Indian Army has deployed several special forces teams in the Rajouri-Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir along with drones and helicopters to hunt down the terrorists.

Security agencies suspect that around 6 to 7 terrorists were involved in the attack. The Indian Army has deployed several special forces teams in the Rajouri-Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir along with drones and helicopters to hunt down the terrorists.

A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has reportedly reached the area to take part in the investigation into the incident.

“The Army and security agencies have received inputs about the presence of 6-7 terrorists operating in two groups in the Rajouri-Poonch sector near the area where the incident took place yesterday,” defence officials were quoted as saying by ANI.

“Multiple special forces teams along with drones and surveillance helicopters have been rushed to the area to help carry out search and destroy ops there,” they added.

Several agencies involved in the operation

Several branches of the security forces including the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and intelligence agencies are involved in the operation.

It is being suspected that the terrorists belong to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and had crossed the Line of Control (LoC) to enter Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan.

At present, the Indian Army is trying to trace the route of their entry into the area. The Indian Army is also conducting extensive searches in areas where natural formations like caves and rocks are present.

“More details are being ascertained about their route of ingress into the area. The search is being conducted extensively in the area where multiple cave-type natural structures are present,” defence officials told the media.

Tribute To Martyrs

The terrorist attack has led to a public uproar in the Jammu region. Several political parties have paid tributes to the martyred soldiers.

At Jawahar Nagar in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, BJP workers staged a protest against the terrorist attack.

BJP workers raised slogans of ‘Indian Army Zindabad’, they also raised slogans of ‘Shaheed Jawan amar rahe’.

The protesters also burnt effigies of the terrorists.