Scores of residents of Bafliaz area in Poonch staged a demonstration to protest against the alleged death of three civilians in the custody of government forces.
Sources said that several persons had been arrested for questioning in the aftermath of the militant ambush that left five troopers dead and two other injured on Thursday.
Three civilians who were in custody, as per the locals, were rushed to the hospital where they were declared brought dead by the doctors.
News agency Press Trust of India reported that the three were among the eight people reportedly picked up by the Army for questioning in connection with Thursday’s attack at Dhatyar Morh, between Dhera Ki Gali and Bufliaz, under the jurisdiction of the Surankote police station, the officials said.
Poonch Deputy Commissioner Choudhary Mohammad Yasin and Senior Superintendent of Police Vinay Kumar reached Bufliaz following the reports of the deaths of the three men while Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar is also heading for Surankote, the officials said.
Three to four heavily-armed terrorists targeted a Maruti Gypsy and a truck of the Army late Thursday afternoon, killing the five soldiers and injuring two.
After the attack, the terrorists reportedly mutilated the bodies of at least two soldiers and took the weapons of some of them.
The three were identified as Safeer Hussain son of Wazir Hussain aged 37 and Mohammed Showkat son of Nazir Hussain aged 26 and Shabir Ahmed aged 32.
The deaths triggered protests in the area with the locals seeking justice to the deceased, however, officials have not issued any statement regarding this development.
Meanwhile the Government forces have intensified the search operation in the area following the death of five army personnel.