As the search operation to trace the terrorists responsible for the attack on military vehicles in Butapathri entered its second day on Saturday, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said three to four terrorists were involved in the attack on the military convoy.

Apart from the army and police, paramilitary forces are also engaged in search operations to trace the terrorists. Forces are using drones, quadcopters and human intelligence to track down attackers and police have initial information about the attackers.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Zahid Mohammad of Baramulla said the operation against the attackers resumed on Saturday morning. “Police, army and paramilitary forces are carrying out operations from Babareshi forest to other areas of Gulmarg,” he said, adding that evidence they have collected shows that three to four terrorists were involved in the Butapathri attack. “Prior to this attack, input-based operations were launched in Pattan and Kreeri areas of Baramulla district,” he added.

On Thursday evening, a convoy carrying personnel of a Rashtriya Rifles unit and civilian porters was heading towards Nagin post in the Afrawat range when terrorists opened fire on two military trucks at Botapathri, around 6 km from Gulmarg tourist center. Two soldiers and two civilian porters were killed in the ambush.

The deceased were identified as rifleman Jeevan Singh, rifleman Kaisar Ahmad Shah and defense bearers Mushtaq Ahmad Chowdary and Zahoor Ahmad Mir.

The Anti-Fascist Popular Front, believed to be a front for Jaish-e-Mohammed, claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack. The group, which warned of further attacks, posted a photo of an army vehicle targeted in the Butapathri forests.

The Army on Friday said Pakistani terrorists were behind the Buthpathri attack in Ganderbal in which two soldiers and two porters were killed.

The army said that before fleeing, the terrorists also left a weapon behind. Pakistani terrorists, to disrupt peace and stability in Kashmir, targeted an army column in the general area of ​​Butapathri.

After the attack, security was alerted across north Kashmir, especially in areas crossed by military convoys late at night. Night domination operations were also undertaken in some areas of north Kashmir.