Two terrorists who opened fire in a village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua late last night have been killed in an encounter with security forces. A paramilitary soldier from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) also lost his life during the exchange of fire.
The incidents began with two separate encounters that started overnight in Jammu and extended into the morning. One of these encounters took place in Doda, where five soldiers and a special police officer (SPO) were injured in an attack on an army post.
Just two days before these terror incidents, a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi was attacked, causing the bus to crash into a gorge and resulting in the deaths of nine passengers.
Anand Jain, Additional Director General of Police for the Jammu zone, who is overseeing the anti-terror operations in Kathua, provided details about the encounters this morning. He explained that in Doda, terrorists opened fire at a joint team of police and Rashtriya Rifles at an army base in the Chattargala area late last night. An encounter between security forces and the terrorists continues in the higher reaches of the area.
In the Kathua incident, two terrorists were involved in an attack last evening. One was killed last night, while the second, armed with a US-made M4 carbine assault rifle, was holed up in a forested region and eliminated this morning. According to the police, the terrorists raised villagers’ suspicions by asking for water from several houses and opened fire when some villagers raised an alarm.
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One civilian was injured in the firing. Jain clarified and denied reports that three people died in the Kathua attack, emphasizing that only one civilian was injured and there were no hostages.
ADGP Jain described the Kathua attack as a “fresh infiltration” and hinted at Pakistan’s involvement without naming the country explicitly. “It is our hostile neighbor who always tries to damage the peaceful environment in our country. This (Hiranagar Terror attack) appears to be a fresh infiltration,” he said.
Jammu has been on high alert due to these recent attacks, which occurred in areas previously considered free of terrorism. The region has witnessed increased terror activity, including an attack two days earlier on a bus heading to the Shiv Khori cave temple in Reasi.
Terrorists opened fire after the bus driver refused to deboard the passengers, causing the bus to crash into a gorge. Nine people were killed, and 33 were injured. Officials attributed the attack to directions from Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Abu Hamza.
The security situation in Jammu remains tense as authorities continue to monitor and respond to these threats.
Notably, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has begun the process to hold the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections and has issued a notification to the tune.
