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NIA visits Rajouri village, terror victims cremated
The J&K police also announced a reward of ₹10 lakh for anyone sharing information about the terrorists involved in the twin attacks, which killed six civilians, including two minors, and injured 15 others
Jammu A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday visited Dhangri village in Jammu and Kashir’s Rajouri district where six civilians were killed in terrorist attacks over the last two days, officers said, adding that the deceased were cremated amid heavy security.
The J&K police also announced a reward of ₹10 lakh for anyone sharing information about the terrorists involved in the twin attacks, which killed six civilians, including two minors, and injured 15 others.
“Anybody sharing any specific information about terrorists involved in the gruesome terror attacks at Dhangri village shall be rewarded with ₹10 lakh,” a bulletin issued by the Rajouri police said. “The details of the person sharing the information will be kept secret.”
Four people were killed around 7pm on Sunday, when two terrorists entered their houses in Dhangri village and fired at them indiscriminately. The deceased were identified as Deepak Kumar (23), Satish Kumar (45), Pritam Pal (56), and Shiv Pal (32), police said.
Barely 14 hours later, two minors — Vihan Sharma (4) and Samiksha Sharma (16) — died when an improvised explosive device (IED) planted at the entrance of shooting victim Pritam Pal’s house went off around 9.30am on Monday, police said, adding that nine others were injured in the explosion.
On Tuesday afternoon, a team of the NIA led by a senior officer visited the terror site in the village and conducted an hour-long initial investigation into the firing and IED blast incidents, a senior police officer said.
A joint cordon and search operation by the army, police and paramilitary forces continued in the Dhangri village area for the third consecutive day to trace the terrorists, the officer said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people attended the cremation of the six civilians who were killed in the twin attacks, which triggered protests across the district.
J&K director general of police (DGP) Dilbag Singh, additional DGP Mukesh Singh among other senior police officers attended the cremation. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) J&K unit president Ravinder Raina was also present.
“It appears the terrorists, who fired at the three houses on Sunday evening, also planted an IED before fleeing,” said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity. “The IED had a timer and was planted at the entrance of the house that was attacked first on Sunday evening.”
Accusing the security forces of serious lapses, local residents claimed the IED was planted by terrorists on Sunday itself, but security personnel missed it during the search operation.
“It is a serious security lapse by security agencies. Minority community people do not feel secure. The administration should take tough measures,” village sarpanch Dheeraj Sharma told reporters in Rajouri.
“Why were the three houses attacked by terrorists on Sunday evening not searched? Had the houses been sanitised properly, the IED could have been detected in time,” another resident alleged.
Soon after the IED blast, ADGP Mukesh Singh said: “It seems the IED was hidden under a gunny bag. We have received information about the presence of two terrorists. The area has been cordoned off and a search operation is underway.”
J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha visited the village on Monday evening and assured help to the families of the deceased.
“This is a very painful and unfortunate incident. It is the Centre’s and J&K government’s resolve to wipe out terrorism from J&K. Though deaths can’t be compensated, I assure every possible help to the families within a week’s time,” said Sinha. “We have given full freedom to the security forces and I want to assure the people that the perpetrators of this attack will be punished soon.”
Sinha announced ₹10 lakh ex-gratia and jobs for the kin of those killed in the attacks and ₹1 lakh each to the 15 injured.
