Fidayeen in their 20s sported 'army' look

URI/SRINAGAR: Security agencies detained three men of the Bakarwal tribe in Uri on Monday and questioned them in detail in connection with Sunday's terror strike on the headquarters of the 12th Brigade. The three men have given eyewitness statements that they had spotted at least seven men with heavy bags in camouflage outfits near Gawhalan village before the attack.

The agencies have also found two dozen logs of wood in the dense pine forest areas, which are suspected to have been used to cross the riverine areas.

Among other details that have emerged, three of the four fidayeen behind the attack were clean-shaven and sported close-cropped hair to help their disguise as Army personnel. They were in their early 20s, their autopsy and bone mass and density measurement at the 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar has revealed. The slain terrorists were buried nearly 50km from the site of attack. Together they had taken nearly 169 bullet hits -their intestines, chest and arms were riddled with bullet holes.

Twenty-six wrappers of high protein chocolate bars, six Red Bull cans, three empty packets of ORS and other medicines with 'Made in Pakistan' stamp were recovered from the terror site.

The agencies have also recovered a GPS set with pre-fed coordinates of two locations -Galwama and Rafiabad, Muzaffarabad -at least 6km from the LoC, sources said. 'The water level of the Jhelum is low and offshoots of the river are plenty. They were aware of the riverine conditions and were being briefed about troop movements," said a senior IB official.

Muzaffarabad is a city in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir where the JeM frequently holds rallies to generate support in Pakistan.

IB sleuths confirmed a recent audio clip in which JeM boss Maulana Masood Azhar was heard asking people to transport men and material beyond Muzaffarabad to avenge the death of the group's then chief commander Shahbaz Khan, alias Ghazi Baba.

The GPS pre-fed coordinates show the fidayeen were in Pakistan prior to the attack.“Azhar was closely monitoring this operation. Phone calls to the region are being monitored,“ said a senior IB official.