IAF convoy ambush: Brief gunfight in J&K’s Poonch, search op enters Day 7 | India News

JAMMU: A brief exchange of fire took place in Sinai Top area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district between security forces and terrorists — suspected to be behind the fatal May 4 ambush on an Indian Air Force convoy that left Corporal Vikky Pahade dead and four of his colleagues wounded — on Friday evening, even as searches for the attackers entered the seventh day, official sources said.
Former Pakistani army SSG commando turned Lashkar-e-Taiba operative Illiyas Fauji, along with two other terrorists from Pakistan — Abu Hamza and Handoon — were earlier identified as kingpins of the attack. “Illiyas Fauji is the mastermind of the attack. Terrorist Habibullah Malik, alias Sajid Jutt, is also involved, operating from Pakistan,” an official source said Thursday.
CCTV footage from the area also captured three more Pakistani terrorists, whose identities are being sought by police. Sources disclosed that Pakistan is employing drones to smuggle arms and ammunition to terrorists. “Pakistani UAVs carrying weapons were shot down in Poonch and Rajouri,” revealed an official.
Following the May 4 ambush near Shahsitar (between Surankote and Mendhar in Poonch) an intensive cordon-and-search operation was jointly launched by the Army, J&K Police and CRPF — equipped with aerial surveillance and sniffer dogs — to plug potential escape routes and track down the terrorists believed to be holed up in the general area of Surankote-Poonch (Shahsitar, Gursai, Sanai, Lasana, and Sheendara top in the Surankote belt and adjoining areas in Poonch district) spread over approximately 20km.
Sketches of Hamza and Handoon were released while a reward of Rs 20 lakh was announced for any information on their whereabouts. Sources said 26 people had been detained for questioning on suspicion of providing support to the terrorists.