Jammu: Two militants of banned Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit, who according to police attempted to carry out a suicide attack ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, were killed here in an encounter on Friday in which a CISF officer also died, officials said.
Nine security personnel were also injured in the pre-dawn gunfight near an Army camp in Sunjwan area on the outskirts of Jammu. One of the injured later succumbed to his injuries.
Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh, who visited the encounter site, said “the two terrorists were part of a suicide squad of Pakistan-based JeM and their infiltration could be a big conspiracy to sabotage the prime minister’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir”.
According to initial investigation, the two militants entered the outskirts of Jammu city on Thursday after infiltrating from the international border in R S Pura sector and were staying in a locality close to the Sunjwan Army camp.
“From last night, police and other forces were involved in an operation which has culminated… As per reports, the two terrorists were part of JeM’s suicide squad, launched from Pakistan and tasked with targeting a camp of the security forces or engaging… to inflict a lot of casualties,” the DGP told reporters near the scene of the early morning encounter in Sunjwan area.
“The terrorists were wearing suicide vests and were also equipped with a huge quantity of arms and ammunition, indicating that they had come to inflict heavy casualties on security forces,” he said.
“The encounter took place two days ahead of the prime minister’s visit. It is part of a big conspiracy to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of Jammu and it could be a big conspiracy to sabotage the visit,” Singh said, adding that “it is good that we got timely inputs and the operation was concluded successfully.”
The prime minister is scheduled to visit Palli village of Samba on National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24.
According to Singh, the joint operation, launched by the police, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) and the Army after getting information about the terrorists, continued throughout the night.
“The terrorists attempted to flee the cordoned area during the night. This resulted in heavy firing between them and the security personnel at the outer cordon, resulting in injuries to some police and CISF personnel. Among them, one assistant sub-inspector of the CISF succumbed later,” he said.
The police chief said the cordon was further tightened and a gunfight ensured. Senior officers of the police, CRPF and CISF, including Additional Director General Police Mukesh Singh and Deputy Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Vivek Gupta, led from the front.
“The operation was completely successfully with both the terrorists neutraiised. They were affiliated with the JeM and were wearing suicide vests,” the DGP said.
“The terrorists were also carrying energy drinks and medicines besides the large quantity of arms and ammunition, mostly carried by ‘fidayeen’ terrorists,” he said.
Asked about the identity of the slain attackers, he said further investigation is on. “On the basis of the reports, they are both Pakistani nationals.”
“It looks that they have freshly infiltrated into this side (from Pakistan). They have no history (of terror activities) in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
The DGP said three weapons were recovered along with lot of grenades from the possession of the slain terrorists.
“They fired rifle grenades and some more security personnel were also injured after the initial casualties,” he said, ruling out the presence of a third terrorist.
Responding to a question about local support to them, the DGP said, “We have certain leads and we are working on them.”
The operation began around 4.25 am on Friday “when two terrorists, who were apparently moving towards the Army camp, were spotted by the guards who were changing duties,” the officials said.
Around the same time, a CISF bus carrying 15 personnel was proceeding towards the Jammu airport, which is being guarded by the paramilitary force. “Apparently, in a knee-jerk reaction, the two terrorists lobbed a grenade towards the bus and sprayed it with bullets before escaping back into the nearby locality, prompting the security forces to lay a cordon around the area,” officials said.
A senior Central Industrial Security Force officer said the militants fired at the bus and lobbed grenades, killing Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) S P Patel and injuring two other occupants. The force retaliated effectively.
Later in a tweet, the CISF said its personnel were attacked by militants while going for an ongoing cordon and search operation.
According to the police, the gunfight began “when the terrorists opened fire on the search party”.
The officials said nine security personnel, including two policemen, were injured in the gunfight. A CISF personnel and a police personnel sustained grievous injuries.
“As the CISF troops retaliated, the terrorists fled and entered the house of Mahommad Anwar,” they said.
“The security forces zeroed in on the house and killed one of the terrorists while he was moving towards the bathroom, where his associate had taken shelter,” they said.
Efforts to neutralise the second terrorist took longer. He was killed in heavy gunfire and grenade hits, they said, adding the entire gunfight lasted a little over five hours.
Two AK-47 rifles, an Under Barrel Grenade Launcher and a satellite phone were recovered from the slain, the police said.
Mobile internet services were suspended and schools in the vicinity of the encounter site were closed for the day as a precautionary measure.
On February 10 in 2018, three JeM militants stormed the Sunjwan Army camp and in the subsequent gunfight, seven people, including six soldiers, were killed. All the three militants were also gunned down.
On National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24, the prime minister is scheduled to visit Samba’s Pali village, 17 km from here, to address a gathering.
This will be Modi’s first visit to Jammu and Kashmir other than borders since the abrogation of the special status of the erstwhile state and its bifurcation in August 2019.
He had celebrated Diwali with Army jawans on October 27, 2019 in Rajouri and on November 03, 2021 in Nowshera sector in Jammu division. (With PTI inputs)
