In a big development in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch sector on Thursday, proscribed terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed affiliate PAFF (People’s Anti-Fascist Front) has claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack claimed the lives of five soldiers, who were charred to death as their Army vehicle caught fire after it was fired upon by terrorists on the Poonch-Jammu highway. The incident occurred when the Army vehicle was moving from Bhimber Gali to Sangiot in Poonch district. On Friday, security forces launched a massive search operation in the forests of the Bata-Doriya area of Poonch. The area has been cordoned off and drones and sniffer dogs are being used to trace terrorists, officials said, as reported by PTI. The terrorists were hiding in the jungles of the Poonch area and waiting for an ambush on a convoy. Prime facie investigation into the Poonch terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that led to the death of five Rashtriya Rifles soldiers and left one injured revealed that the role of no less than seven Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group. This is the fourth incident involving Indian Army casualties in the Poonch-Rajouri area. There were intelligent inputs to confirm the presence of Pakistan-based terrorists in the area. According to inputs from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the terrorists used rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles against the RR soldiers traveling in the truck. It’s still not clear whether the truck got fire through the direct RPG hit or was set on fire by terrorists after the gunning down the Indian troopers. While Nagrota-based 16 Core has launched a massive manhunt for the terrorists in the sector, the incident has direct links to Pakistan’s opposition to the G20 event in Srinagar in May. Over the past month, the Pakistan government has asked G20 members, particularly its ‘iron-brother’ China, to boycott the event. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh was briefed by Army Chief Gen. Manoj Pande on the death of five soldiers, reported ANI quoting defense officials familiar with the matter. — Agencies