- Pakistani currency notes and a slip with Pakistani mobile numbers were found in Poonch
- An investigation is underway to determine the origin and links of the recovered items
- Bhattadurian near the LoC has a history of terror activity and use as a terrorist transit route
Pakistani currency notes and a slip mentioning Pakistani mobile numbers were recovered during a search operation in a village in the border district of Poonch of Jammu and Kashmir. The recovery was made by a road-opening party (ROP) of the security forces in Bhattadurian village of Mendhar tehsil.
The seized items included six Pakistani currency notes of PKR 50, 20, and 10 denominations. Besides this, a paper slip with several suspected Pakistani mobile numbers was also recovered.
An investigation has been launched to ascertain the origin of the Pakistani currency notes and possible links.
"All aspects of the recovery are being examined. Further investigation is underway," a senior police officer said.
Bhattadurian, located close to the Line of Control, has witnessed several search operations in the past following reports of suspicious activity in the area.
The area has also been used as a transit route by terrorists in the past. Its thick vegetation and undulating mountainous terrain have served as a natural hiding ground for terrorists.
The area has also witnessed deadly terror attacks in the past.
On April 20, 2023, heavily armed terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) ambushed an Indian Army vehicle carrying food material for an Iftar gathering, killing five soldiers of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and severely injuring another. The terrorists used steel-core, armour-piercing bullets and lobbed grenades, causing the vehicle to catch fire.
Bhattadurian has long been a terror hideout. Certain elements are acting as overground workers for the Lashkar and Jaish outfits.
"Without OGW support, survival of terrorists in this belt is not possible. The seizure of Pakistani currency notes only indicates the presence of some terror supporters in the region," said a police officer.
