Photos of 3 terrorists behind attack on IAF convoy in J&K released

Photographs of three Lashkar terrorists, believed to be involved in the attack on an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, have been released. The attack occurred last week, resulting in the death of Corporal Vikky Pahade and injuries to four of his colleagues.

All three assailants reportedly used high-powered assault rifles, including United States-made M4s and Russian-made AK-47s, marking the first major strike of the year in an area that experienced several terror-related incidents targeting military personnel last year.

The three identified terrorists are Illiyas, a former Pakistan Army commando; a Pakistani militant known as Hadoon or Hadun; and Abu Hamza, the codename of a commander from the banned group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

According to a sketch released by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Abu Hamza is described as a man aged 30-32, of medium build and fair complexion, with a trimmed haircut. He was last seen wearing a Pathani suit with a brown shawl and an orange bag.

A reward of Rs 10 lakh has been offered for information leading to Abu Hamza’s arrest.

The attack on the IAF convoy on May 4 followed a series of recent terrorist strikes in the Poonch and Rajouri regions.

One such incident in the Shadra Sharief area of Rajouri resulted in the death of a 40-year-old government employee named Mohammad Razak, who worked in the social welfare department.

The attackers used a US-made M4 assault rifle and a pistol in this incident. Razak’s brother, a soldier in the Territorial Army, was also present during the attack but managed to escape unharmed.

Security officials suspect that the terrorist Abu Hamza was behind the attack on Mohammad Razak. Poonch falls within the Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency, which is scheduled to vote in the sixth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on May 25.

These incidents occurred subsequent to attacks targeting non-locals, including a migrant worker from Bihar and a man from Dehradun, in the Anantnag and Herpora areas of Shopian district.