Poonch Attack Comes Ahead of G20 Meet in J&K, After Bilawal Bhutto Announced Visit to India

The terrorist attack in Poonch on Thursday, in which five army jawans were killed, came ahead of the all-important G20 meeting in Jammu and Kashmir and as Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto announced a visit to India in May. Only a few days ago, a top-level review was conducted on the security situation in the Valley ahead of the high-profile conference.

According to a viral social media post, the People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a proxy organisation of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack but official confirmation on its involvement is awaited. More importantly, in this post, the PAFF has threatened to target the upcoming G20 meeting in Srinagar.

“Today, at approximately 3 pm, one army vehicle moving between Bhimber Gali and Poonch in the Rajouri sector was fired on by unidentified terrorists, taking advantage of heavy rain and low visibility in the area. The vehicle caught fire, due to likely use of grenades. Five personnel of the Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terrorist operations in this area have unfortunately lost their lives in the incident,” the army said.

Another seriously injured soldier was immediately evacuated to the army hospital in Rajouri and is undergoing treatment. A search operation for the perpetrators of the attack is in progress.

What is the PAFF?

On social media, a message is circulating about the PAFF claiming responsibility for the attack. In the post, the group has threatened to target the G20 meeting in Srinagar.

According to a notification by the ministry of home affairs in January, the PAFF is a proxy terror outfit of the Jaish-e-Mohammed.

“The ‘People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF)’ emerged in the year 2019 as a proxy outfit of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a proscribed terrorist organisation listed at serial number 6 of the First Schedule under the UAPA Act,” the MHA said in the notification.

“The People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) regularly issues threats to Indian security forces, political leaders, civilians working in Jammu and Kashmir from other states… along with other organisations is involved in conspiring proactively, physically and in social media, to undertake violent terrorist acts in Jammu and Kashmir as well as other major cities in India… is indulging in radicalisation,” the notification stated.

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