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Terrorists attack house in J&K's Kathua, 1 killed in encounter
Gunshots were heard near a village in Kathua amid extensive efforts to track down the terrorists who attacked a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi disrict of J&K.
One terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces after some gunmen opened fire on a house in the Hiranagar area of Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday.
The residents of Saida Sukhal village reported hearing gunshots and alerted the authorities after spotting two to three gunmen in the vicinity, according to initial reports. The gunmen allegedly fired shots before fleeing into the nearby forests.
The police and the Border Security Force (BSF) launched a joint operation in the area to track down the suspected individuals.
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said it was a terrorist attack on the house of an unnamed person in the village near the international border. Singh said he was in “continuous online contact” with DC Kathua Rakesh Minhas and in touch with SSP Kathua Anayat Ali Choudhary “who is on the spot.”
“The owner of the house that was attacked (name not to be disclosed) is also in touch on mobile phone. Joint police & para military operation is going on. One terrorist neutralised so far. I and my office are in constant touch and keeping a close watch on the developments,” the minister posted on X.
Read: Reasi bus attack: Role of terrorists behind IAF convoy ambush suspected
More details are awaited.
This comes two days after terrorists attacked a bus full of pilgrims in the Reasi district in Jammu, killing nine people and injuring another 42. Security officials suspect the hand of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba behind the terror strike.
Extensive efforts to track down terrorists entered its second day on Tuesday, with 11 teams of security personnel working on the ground and a multi-directional cordon laid around the Ranso-Poni-Treyath belt, officials said.
Read: Reasi attack: Bus owner wants ‘martyr’ status for driver, teenage conductor
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Udhampur-Reasi Range, Rayees Mohammad Bhat said the security forces have got some leads as 11 teams of police, Army and CRPF are jointly working on two different axes to neutralise the fleeing terrorists.
"The search operation is going on today in and around the area (where the attack took place) with 11 teams working on the ground apart from a multi-directional cordon laid around the (Poni-Treyath) belt," another senior police officer said.
