The People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the ambush

Five soldiers were killed and two injured when heavily-armed terrorists ambushed two Army vehicles in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Thursday, officials told news agency PTI. The attack took place at Dhatyar Morh between Dhera Ki Gali and Bufliaz around 3:45 pm, officials said.

Sources told India Today TV that the Dhatyar Morh location in Poonch district was chosen by terrorists to attack as the Army vehicles slowed down at this point due to a blind curve and bumpy road. The terrorists positioned themselves atop a hill at Dhatyar Morh between Dhera Ki Gali and Bufliaz, from where they fired bullets at the two Army vehicles, sources said.

Terrorists may have done a reconnaissance at the attack site where the two Army vehicles -- a truck and a Maruti Gypsy -- were ambushed, sources said, adding that three or four of them were believed to be involved in the attack.

The Army vehicles were ambushed by the terrorists at Dhatyar Morh when they slowed down at the blind curve.

What Is PAFF?

People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) is an offshoot of the terror group JeM and was banned by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs earlier this year.

According to the Home Ministry’s response to a question in the Rajya Sabha on March 15 this year, PAFF came into existence in 2019 and has been involved in terror acts in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in the country. The Home Ministry also designated Arbaz Ahmad Mir, a Lashkar-e-Taiba member, as an individual terrorist under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Why Was PAFF Banned?

According to the Home Ministry’s response in Rajya Sabha, PAFF has been involved in radicalization of youth for the purpose of recruitment and training in handling guns, ammunitions and explosives, issuing threats to Indian security forces, political leaders and civilians working in Jammu and Kashmir from other parts of the country, conspiring pro-actively physically and in social media to undertake violent terrorist acts in Jammu and Kashmir and other major cities in India, the Home Ministry said in its response.

“It has committed and participated in various acts of terrorism in India,” the Ministry said in a notification earlier.

“Therefore, exercising the powers conferred by clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the central government declared the PAFF a banned organisation,” it added.

Notably, PAFF had also claimed responsibility for the terror attack on the Indian Army in April this year in which five Jawans were killed in action in Poonch.