3 dead in militant attack in Jammu; terrorists killed

Three terrorists dressed in army uniforms on Friday struck at two places in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, killing a civilian and a soldier and injuring three others, not far from the spot where Lashkar-e-Taiba militants gunned down 10 security personnel last year.

Three terrorists in Army fatigues killed a jawan and two civilians in Jammu’s Kathua district before being shot dead by forces on Friday. The attack site was near Hiranagar, where 11 people were killed in a terror strike in September last year.

The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had addressed a rally in Hiranagar on Wednesday. Police said the militants had snuck into India from Pakistan to carry out attacks ahead of the general polls.

Security-personnel-in-Dayalachak-ANI-Photo

Concerned over the ease with which the militants had infiltrated the Indian border, chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted: “It’s a matter of grave concern. The BSF needs to take a look at vulnerable areas and plug these gaps... we can’t let them (militants) succeed.

Kathua militant attack. (ANI Photo)

The terror strike started out on Friday morning when the militants stopped a vehicle at Dayalachak in Kathua district, about 60km from Jammu. They forced the occupants and the driver out and opened fire.

“One of our colleagues died on the spot,” said Kamla Jit, who was travelling in the vehicle and was injured in the incident. The driver’s body, with his throat cut, was found later close to a forest area.

The militants then moved towards an army area in Janglote, about 7km from Dayalchak. As they neared the base they were shot at by army guards and cornered. An army jawan was killed in the ensuing gun battle. “The militants were shot dead in a 12-hour long operation. Three AK-47s and pistols along with grenades and food items were recovered,” said IGP Jammu Rajesh Kumar.

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