Two days after an Indian Air Force (IAF) soldier was killed and four others injured in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch, on May 6th, 2024, the Indian Army has released the sketches of two Pakistani terrorists who were behind the cowardly attack and announced a reward of Rs. 20 Lakhs, for any information leading to their arrest.
“Anyone who will give any fruitful and reliable information about the whereabouts of these terrorists, leading to their arrest will be rewarded and their identity will be kept a secret,” an Army official said, in a statement.
On Sunday, while traveling to Sanai Top in the Surankote region of Poonch district, an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy encountered intense gunfire. Terrorists in Pakistan attacked the final car in the convoy, and the IAF personnel reacted quickly. Five troops were injured in the subsequent firefight. On May 5th, the security forces detained six people in connection with the Poonch encounter.
Additional forces of the Indian army reached Jarra Wali Gali (JWG) in Poonch on Saturday late at night. The wounded IAF troops were evacuated to the command hospital in Udhampur for medical attention. But Corporal Vikky Pahade passed away from his wounds. After the attack, the Rashtriya Rifles, a local force of the Indian Army, sealed off the area and began searching for the terrorists.
A post on the official handle of the Indian Air Force (IAF) read, “The CAS Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and all personnel of the Indian Air Force salute the braveheart Corporal Vikky Pahade, who made the supreme sacrifice in the Poonch Sector, in the service of the nation. Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. We stand firmly by your side in this hour of grief.”
After taking a leave of absence to attend his sister’s wedding, Corporal Vikky Pahade, a citizen of the Chhindwara region of Madhya Pradesh, has returned to his duties. In order to fulfill his father’s goal, he enlisted in the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2011. His wife Rina and son Hardik survive him.
“I am proud of my brother. I got to know about this (my brother’s demise) a day before yesterday. I want justice for my brother,” Vikky’s sister Geeta Pahade said.
One of the detainees has been identified as Mohammad Razak, who is believed to have provided food and logistical support to the terrorists. The 35-year-old mason Abdul Razzak is said to have worked with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as an over-the-ground agent. He fed militants from Pakistan two days earlier at his home close to Sinai. Previous to this, he was allegedly involved in assisting numerous terror groups with logistical support. He admitted to these actions during questioning.
Sajid Jutt, operating from Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), has been identified as the mastermind of the Surankote attack. A probe into the matter has revealed that the terrorists used M4 carbine and steel-coated bullets.
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