Security forces have detained many persons in connection with the investigation of a case involving Thursday’s militant attack on an army vehicle on the national highway in Poonch in which five army personnel lost their lives.

The attack was carried out in the dense forests between Bhata Dhurian and Bhimber Gali. An army vehicle was moving towards Bhata Dhurian and it was ambushed by militants and the vehicle caught fire.

Officials said that the questioning of the detained people is going on. On the other hand, the search operation launched in the area entered the second day with more teams of the army and police being deployed.

Vehicular movement on the national highway 144-A, which connects Jammu with Rajouri and Poonch districts, has also been kept suspended on the 25-kilometre stretch from Bhimber Gali to Bhata Dhurian.

Police have put up barricades both on the Bhimber Gali side and Jarran Wali Gali side of the highway, blocking it for the movement of vehicles.

Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh as well as a high-level team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) visited the army vehicle attack site. The NIA team examined the site and reviewed the overall circumstances.

The DGP was accompanied by ADG Jammu zone Mukesh Singh. He later reached Rajouri where he chaired a series of meetings with security force officers and reviewed the overall security situation and aggressive counter-militancy operations launched in the region.

The fallen soldiers include Hav Mandeep Singh, L/NK Kulwant Singh, Sep Harkrishan Singh and Sep Sewak Singh, all natives of Punjab and L/NK Debashish Biswal, a native of Odisha.

Army on Friday also held a wreath-laying ceremony for five soldiers who lost their lives. The wreath laying was held in Army’s General Hospital Rajouri. Senior officers from the army, police and civil administration also offered tributes to these soldiers.