Air Force pays tribute to warrior slain in Poonch terror attack

The Indian Air Force, on Sunday, paid tribute to its braveheart, Corporal Vikky Pahade, who was killed while fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Saturday.

Indian Air Force posted on its official X handle today: “The CAS Air Chief Marshal V. R. Chaudhari and all personnel of Indian Air Force salute the braveheart Corporal Vikky Pahade, who made the supreme sacrifice in Poonch Sector, in the service of the nation. Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. We stand firmly by your side in this hour of grief.”

Cpl Vikky Pahade made the supreme sacrifice when terrorists fired at two vehicles of the Air Force in Bakrabal (Sanai) area in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district on Saturday.

Air warriors travelling in the vehicle ambushed by the terrorists returned fire and in the initial firing by the terrorists, five soldiers were injured.

The injured air warriors were shifted to Army’s Command Hospital in Udhampur headquarters of the Northern Command.

Cpl Vikky Pahade succumbed to critical injuries while four other injured air warriors are being treated at the Command Hospital.

Security forces including the Army, police and paramilitary have started a massive search operation at many places in Poonch district today to trace the terrorists.

Senior officers of the Army, police and paramilitary forces are supervising the search operation.

Saturday’s attack by the terrorists is the second major attack after December 21 last year in which four army soldiers were killed by the terrorists.

Intelligence agencies believe that this is the same group of terrorists who carried out the December 21, 2023 attack that is behind Saturday’s attack in Poonch district.

The group, according to intelligence agencies, is headed by a foreign terrorist called Abu Hamza of LeT operating in the densely forested area of Poonch and Rajouri districts.

According to police, Abu Hamza is also responsible for the killing of a government employee Mohammad Razaq, 40, who was killed on April 22 this year in the Kunda Top village of the Thanamandi area of Rajouri district.

Razaq worked in the government Social Welfare Department while his brother, Mohammad Tahir Choudhary is a soldier in the Territorial Army (TA).

The terrorists had come to kill the TA soldier, but when he slipped out of their clutches, they killed his brother Razaq, police had said.

Police have announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh to anyone whose information leads to the tracing of this foreign terrorist believed to be operating in the densely forested area of Poonch and Rajouri districts.