Indian troops launch massive operation in held Kashmir district

HELD JAMMU: Indian troops along with paramilitary personnel have launched a massive cordon and search operation (CASO) in the Poonch district, Kashmir Media Service reported.

The search operation was launched on Thursday evening after an alleged attack on an Indian Army vehicle in which five Indian Rashtriya Rifles personnel were killed and one injured at Bhatta Durrian, Mendhar area of the district.

The entire area, including the forest of Bata-Doriya, was cordoned off while drones and sniffer dogs are being used to pursue the attackers that might be hiding in the area, an Indian police official said.

Officials said that a high alert has been sounded in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch amid close vigil along the Line of Control.

Traffic on the Bhimber Gali-Poonch Road was stopped following the incident and people advised to go to Poonch via Mendhar, they said.

The incident reeks of another false flag operation as initially the incident leading to the death of soldiers was reported as a result of a lightning strike but later it was termed a terror attack.