Nagrota attack: MEA expresses ‘serious concern’, says attempt to derail DDC election

The MEA also vocalised their concerns about any disruptions to the safe and peaceful elections that the government is aiming to conduct in Jammu and Kashmir, and summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday released an official statement conveying India’s strong concerns about the terror attack that unfolded in Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir, on November 19.

Four JeM terrorists were gunned down in a three-hour-long gunbattle, which started early on Thursday at the Ban toll plaza on the highway near Nagrota town in Jammu district(PTI)

“Initial reports indicate the attackers to be members of Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), a terrorist organization proscribed by the United Nations and several countries. The Government of India expressed its serious concerns at continued terror attacks by JeM against India,” it said in the statement.

The MEA also vocalised their concerns about any disruptions to the safe and peaceful elections that the government is aiming to conduct in Jammu and Kashmir.

“JeM has been part of several attacks in India in the past, including the Pulwama attack in February 2019. The huge cache of arms, ammunition and explosive material indicate detailed planning for a major attack to destabilise the peace and security in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, in particular, to derail the ongoing democratic exercise of conduct of local District Development Council (DDC) elections” the ministry added.

Four JeM terrorists were gunned down in a three-hour-long gunbattle, which started early on Thursday at the Ban toll plaza on the highway near Nagrota town in Jammu district. Two policemen of the Special Operations Group (SOG) were injured in the exchange of fire. The gunfight began after security forces successfully intercepted a truck carrying the terrorists.

Officials suspect that the slain terrorists were planning “something big” ahead of the DDC polls, scheduled to be held from November 28 to December 22.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tweet on Friday congratulated the Indian troops for neutralising the terrorists. He said that the attackers belonged to Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed.

“Neutralising of 4 terrorists belonging to Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed and the presence of large cache of weapons and explosives with them indicates that their efforts to wreak major havoc and destruction have once again been thwarted” said his tweet.

In light of the incident at Nagrota the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission was summoned by the MEA and it was made imperative that Pakistan “desists from its policy of supporting terrorists and terror groups”