Convoy Attack: Poonch's Dense Forests, Topography A Challenge For Forces

Even as search operations continue after the ambush on a convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, which led to an Indian Air Force soldier being killed and five others suffering injuries, a worrying aspect for the forces has been how the challenging topography and dense forests in the Poonch-Rajouri region have left personnel exposed on several occasions. 

A senior government functionary told NDTV that the two vehicles which were attacked on Saturday were not bullet-proof. "One belonged to the Air Force and the other to the Army. They were on their way to collect supplies from a facility located atop a small hill. The road leading to the facility is a narrow one and passes through a dense forest and two vehicles cannot travel parallelly," the officials said. 

The dense foliage in the area has been a big hindrance for security forces while conducting operations and they have suffered heavy casualties in the region in the past two years. 

"The terrorists chose a soft target and the facility is also located in a remote area. A massive manhunt had been underway for many days to apprehend Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in the area. But the thick forest cover and tough weather conditions acted as a hurdle," said an officer on the ground. 

The Poonch-Rajouri area is also where terrorists hiding in a cave atop a hilld had killed five Army personnel, including two special forces captains, last year. Even in that encounter, the forest and the topography had proven to be a challenge. 

Security agencies said that cadre of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), operated by Lashkar-e-Taiba, may be behind Saturday's attack, which came days after the Pakistan army chief raked up the Kashmir issue yet again. 

"Lashkar operates behind the scenes and, as per initial information, PAFF seems to be behind the attack," the government functionary said. 

Threat levels in the area have been further raised and the Ministry of Home Affairs asked security forces to remain vigilant. "The next 20 days are going to be tense," the official said. adds. Polling in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency was earlier scheduled to take place on May 7 but has been rescheduled for May 25.

Two days ago, Pakistan army chief General Syed Asim Munir spoke about Kashmir at the graduating parade of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Academy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He expressed frustration over the lack of international support for Islamabad's position on Kashmir, asserting that the "silence of the world over Kashmir is deafening".

The Pakistan army chief had also brought up the aerial duel between the PAF and the Indian Air Force in February 2019, after the Bakalot airstrike.