Armed forces seize 5 IEDs, bust terrorist hideout in Kashmir's Poonch

Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have foiled a potential terror plot by uncovering an underground hideout in Poonch district, just days after the gruesome Pahalgam massacre that left 26 civilians dead. The recovery has raised fresh concerns about ongoing militant activity in the region.

The hideout was discovered during a joint search operation conducted by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police in the Surankot area of Poonch on Sunday evening. Inside the hideout, security personnel found five improvised explosive devices (IEDs), two wireless communication sets, and three blankets, indicating recent or planned terrorist activity.

This discovery follows a series of violent incidents across Poonch and Rajouri, regions that have become hotspots for militant operations and cross-border infiltrations over the past few years. The search operation was launched based on intelligence inputs pointing to active terror modules operating in the region.

Shortly after the hideout was uncovered, Pakistan resumed “unprovoked” firing along multiple sectors of the Line of Control (LoC), including Kupwara, Baramulla, Mendhar, Naushera, and Akhnoor. The Indian Army retaliated swiftly and proportionately to the violations, which marked the 11th consecutive day of ceasefire breach.

Security agencies have remained on high alert ever since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which was the deadliest since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. India has blamed Pakistan-based terror groups for orchestrating the massacre and has taken a series of diplomatic and security measures in response.

Following the attack, New Delhi cancelled all visas issued to Pakistani nationals and ordered those residing in India to leave. It also suspended the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty and downgraded diplomatic ties with Islamabad. Despite denials from the Pakistani government, India maintains there is credible evidence linking the Pahalgam attack to operatives from across the border.