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| Major terror bid foiled, 2-3 militants escape from Jhajjar Kotli | | High alert sounded in Jammu, Katra, Udhampur | |  Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 12: Three suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed militants, believed to be part of a suicide squad, infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday and fired at forces personnel on the state's main highway before escaping into a forest, police said.
Police sources said that a truck bearing registration number JK03F-1476 which was on its way from Kathua to Srinagar jumped a naka at Ban Toll Plaza and the two cops started chasing the truck in a flying squad.
"The driver of the truck stopped the truck at a Dhaba at Jhajjar Kotli, on NHW and ordered food for two persons and packing of food for three persons and in the meantime cops chasing the truck reached the spot", said sources adding that cops observed suspicious activities of driver and conductor of the said truck and asked them for checking of the truck and suddenly some persons open fire from inside the truck and ran away to nearby forest area.
The militants attacked security personnel from a truck that was intercepted as it was speeding past a Check Post in Jhajjar Kotli on the arterial highway that connects Jammu to Kashmir Valley, officials said.
Panic gripped Jammu and its neighbouring areas after the three men escaped into a forest between Jhajjar Kotli and Nagrota on the outskirts of the city.
Deputy Commissioner Udhampur-Ravinder Kumar conveyed through Chief Education Officer (CEO) Udhampur to all the incharge of the schools along with National highway Jammu Srinagar to Remain Alert and also instructed no school student allow to go outside of school Premises and school Entrance should be closed as a precautionary measure. DC Udhampur also added that the movement of vehicle's on Jammu Srinagar Highway also suspended for some hours as security measures.
Senior Superintended of Police (SSP) Udhampur while talking to Early Times said that we got the information about the suspicious firing incident in Jhajjar Kotli and we beefed up the security all security Nakas along Highway were on put on alert. He also added that we also rush towards the spot and a massive search operation is also on to nab the terrorists believed to be three or two in number.
Additional checkpoints were erected at Katra, the base camp of the Mata Vaishno Devi cave shrine visited by thousands of devotees. Drones were deployed over the forest areas to locate the missing militants.
A search operation was launched by police, paramilitary forces as well as the Army and security around important installations was strengthened.
An employee of Sericulture Department namely Ganesh Dass S/o Tara Chand R/o Jhajjar Kotli was injured when they fired at him.
"After they were intercepted, they ran into a forest area between Jhajjar Kotli and Nagrota. They spotted a forest guard, wearing a uniform and fired at him resulting bullet injuries at his right arm. He was shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) and is stated to be stable," said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Jammu-Vivek Gupta.
Though the men managed to escape, the driver and the conductor of the truck was caught.
Piecing together events of the morning from the interrogation of the driver, from Budgam in Central Kashmir, officials said the trio infiltrated from the Kathua-Sambha border early Wednesday morning. They boarded the truck at Chak Dayala, a village about two to three kilometres from the International Border.
Police has taken the driver and his aide to the place in Jhajar Kotli where they security were picked up, the officials said.
The three militants are believed to be part of the Jaish-e-Mohammed and had entered to carry out a 'Fidayeen' (suicide) attack, a senior official said.
"The recoveries, including medicines and dry fruits, made from the truck suggest that they are here to carry out a terror attack," he said.
Gupta added that an AK assault rifle and three magazines were also seized from the truck.
"Using the bypass road, the truck attempted to flee at a security checkpoint near Jhajjar Kotli and was intercepted by forces personnel after a few metres", officials said adding that the men crossed over to the India side through a 'nallah', or drain.
"This is being frequently used. The issue has been flagged but the BSF, which is mandated to man the International Border, disputes it every time," an official said.
A high alert was issued for areas along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway and the Jammu region after the incident.
7 soldiers, including 2 officers, killed in militant attack on Nagrota army camp in November 2016. |
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