Poonch terror attack: NIA visits spot with forensic experts

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to probe the attack in which five Army personnel were killed after terrorists fired at an army vehicle while it was moving between Bhimber Gali and Poonch in the Rajauri sector on Thursday.

Sources said the NIA team, along with eight forensic experts from Delhi, arrived in Poonch on Friday to inspect the terror attack spot. “The NIA experts did forensic evaluation of the scene of crime,” they said.

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Five soldiers were killed on Thursday afternoon in the first of its kind ambush by terrorists on an army vehicle moving from Bhimber Gali to Sangiot, around 90 kilometers away from the district headquarters Poonch. Officials suspect four terrorists were involved in the attack

The vehicle was ‘ambushed’ by the terrorists, who “took advantage of heavy rains and low visibility” in the area, sources said. The firing took place from three sides, followed by a grenade attack due to which the vehicle's fuel tank caught fire.

Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit affiliate PAFF (People's Anti-Fascist Front) reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile, reports said, the army has launched a massive cordon-and-search operation in the area to track down the attackers. The Army has already pressed drones and sniffer dogs to trace the terrorists responsible for the attack, reports added.