As intelligence agencies identified two Pakistan-based terrorists who had directed the ambush of a moving truck that killed five Indian Army soldiers, terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad’s offshoot People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) on Tuesday released a series of photos on social media which it claimed were of the scene of the terror attack in Bhatta-Durian in Poonch.

The terrorist group had earlier claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack on the Army truck that was carrying eatables for the local Muslims for whom the Army had organised an Iftar party. The outfit announced that it will soon release a video of the attack.

The pictures carry the name of PAFF spokesman along with captions. In one photo, a hand of a terrorist carrying some weapon is seen, whereas in the other the approaching truck can be seen.

The pictures indicate that the terrorists were armed with body cams when they attacked the Army truck with grenades and steel core bullets that pierce through bullet-proof vehicles. They decamped with the weapons of the soldiers after ambushing them on 20 April. There are also indications that the terrorists might have used sniper rifles to target the driver and a Lance Naik sitting on the front seat. Thereafter they tossed grenades that set the vehicle on fire.

Thickly forested Bhatta-Durian area, where the vehicle was ambushed between the Bhimber Gali sector and Poonch, has become notorious for terrorist attacks at the security forces. This is also the infiltration route of Pakistan backed terrorists.

The Army, CRPF, Police and various other agencies were combing the area since the past six days but have not found any trace of the terrorists who are believed to be five to seven in number. Topography of the area is not only inhospitable, but the natural caves and dense forests provide a safe hideout  or escape route to terrorists. Nine Army soldiers were killed in a long stretched operation against terrorists in 2021 but they remained untraceable.

The intelligence agencies are learnt to have identified two Pakistan-based terror handlers, Rafiq Nai, alias Sultan, a resident of Mendhar in Poonch who resides in Pakistan and Habibullah Malik, alias Sajid Jutt, a resident of Kasur in Pakistan. Rafiq Nai was familiar with the topography of Bhatta-Durian as it falls in his native place of Mendhar. He had crossed the Line of Control (LOC) and received arms training from the Pakistan Army.

The Home Ministry had designated both Rafiq and Habibullah as terrorists in October last year. They are believed to have directed the earlier terror attacks in the area in 2021.

Habibullah Malik has been associated with Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and its offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF). Habibullah Malik has been involved in radicalising Kashmiri youths and recruiting them into terrorism through his network.

The two terrorist handlers are also involved in drone-dropping of arms, ammunition, narcotics and communication systems for J&K-based terrorists. Habibullah was also behind a fidayeen attack on soldiers at Hyderpora, Srinagar, in June 2013 and also killing of the then SHO of Chadoora, Budgam, in December 2013. Rafiq is “terrorists-launching commander” of Tahreek-ul-Mujahideen and Jammu Kashmir Ghaznavi Force and has also been assigned the task to revive terrorism in Poonch and Rajouri.