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One militant dead in new firing at Samba
Army spokesperson Lt Col SD Goswami says an unknown number of militants fired at the outer sentry post of the cantonment in Samba.
There was a fresh attack on Samba cantonment by militants Monday, a day after a fierce gun battle in the Jammu and Kashmir town, according to the army. One militant was killed.
Army spokesperson Lt Col SD Goswami told IANS that an unknown number of militants fired at the outer sentry post of the cantonment in Samba, about 45 km from Jammu.
"The militants were hiding in thick bushes around the area. The sentry returned fire after which there was a lull. The body of one militant has been recovered," he said.
Goswami added that the army has cordoned off the area and is conducting searches. "Search operations are continuing. Soldiers are trying to find whether the militant had any accomplices with him," he said.
During a fierce encounter in the Keli Mandir area near Samba Sunday evening, Indian security forces shot dead two holed-up militants who had killed eight people, including a woman and a photo-journalist. Eleven others were injured in the gun battle.
The Border Security Force (BSF) had said it had foiled a major infiltration bid by militants from Pakistan across the Line of Control (LoC) May 8. "A group of about 15 militants tried to infiltrate into the Indian side from Glarh border sector," a BSF official said.
That area is about 15 km from the place where the gun battle took place on Sunday. Security forces have raised the apprehension that some militants might have been able to sneak into India.
Meanwhile, a shutdown called by several political parties was being observed in Jammu Monday to condemn the militant attack. "The shutdown is being observed mainly to condole the death of innocent people, including a photo journalist, and express our solidarity with their families," said a social activist.