Gunshots heard in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch, search operation underway

Security forces continue a search operation in the Maraha Forest area in the Bufliaz Sector of Poonch district after gunshots were heard in the area on June 18.

This comes after an exchange of fire occurred between security forces and terrorists in the Poonch district of J&K on June 18, according to an official. “A cordon and search operation was initiated by security forces in the Poonch district based on specific information about terrorists in the area. There was an exchange of fire between the terrorists and the security forces,” said J&K Police on June 18. Further details of the incident are awaited.

Fresh infiltrators in J&K may have played role in attacks

On June 9, a bus ferrying pilgrims from Shiv Khori cave shrine to Katra in Reasi district was attacked by terrorists in Teryath village in the Pouni area of Reasi district, bordering Rajouri district. The bus carrying pilgrims fell into a gorge after the terrorist attack, leaving at least nine people dead and 33 others injured.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the Reasi terror attack case in Jammu and Kashmir and started a thorough inquiry into it to unearth the underlying conspiracy behind the attack that raised concerns over security situations in the Union Territory, officials said on June 17.

The anti-terror agency took over the case from Jammu and Kashmir Police on June 15 and filed a fresh First Information Report (FIR) following Ministry of Home Affairs’ orders taking cognisance of the gravity of the incident as the attackers targeted the bus on June 9 evening — the day when the whole Union Cabinet was taking oath, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.

A day after the attack, a team from the NIA also visited the spot to support local police and evaluate the ground situation. The NIA, India’s premier counter-terrorism agency, often collaborates with State police to address high-profile and sensitive cases as part of its routine affair in terror attack cases. The NIA’s involvement was expected to enhance the investigation and ensure a thorough examination of the evidence.