SRINAGAR: A day before the scheduled meeting between leaders of India and Pakistan in New York, militants launched a daring attack on police and army camps in Kashmirs Jammu region early in the morning today. The attacks carried out at two different places Kathua and Samba districts resulted in the death of 12 persons, including two civilians.
Home Secretary Suresh Kumar said: The attack was carried out by militants and all of them (three in number) were killed in the encounter. Kumar said that two army soldiers, four policemen and two civilians lost their lives during the attacks. The two civilians killed in the encounter were from Hiranagar and Anantnag.
Reports from Jammu said that a group of militants arrived at Hiranagar police station in an auto rickshaw in the wee hours and barged into the premises of police station. The militants fired indiscriminately and lobbed hand grenades killing four policemen on the spot.
The deceased cops and two civilians were identified as ASI Rattan Singh, Selection Grade Constable Kuldeep Singh, Constable Shiv Kumar, Special Police Officer Mukesh Kumar and shopkeepers Suresh Kumar and Feroz Ahmed Ahangar (conductor) of Khanmoh, Srinagar.The injured cops have been identified in as Constable Rattan Chand and Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Ganga Ram.
Sources said the militants after carrying out attack at the Hiranagar Police Station hijacked a truck on the national highway at gun point. They shot dead the truck conductor before storming into Armys Samba Brigade at Mesar.
Police sources said that soon after attack on police station, the militants hijacked a truck (JK03-7310), shot dead its conductor Feroz Ahmed, directed the truck driver Abdul Salam to move at a breakneck speed towards the army camp. They de-boarded from his truck ahead of the camp and stopped another vehicle. They forced the driver of the vehicle to proceed towards Samba Brigade, Salam later told police.
As the word about the movement of militants spread, police swung into action and sealed Jammu-Pathankot Highway.
Later militants forced their entry into the army officers’ mess and lobbed grenades and fired indiscriminately, the sources added.
A defence spokesperson said that a fierce gun battle ensued between the militant squad and the troops inside the Army base camp in which an Army officer (Lt Col) and three soldiers were killed and four others were injured.
Later in the afternoon all the 3 militants, who carried out the twin attacks, were killed inside the camp, he said.
Reports said that militants who stormed into Army Unit used sophisticated weapons and fired upon army personnel indiscriminately. Reports said that tank and chopper movement was seen in and outside the camp during the gun battle.
Sources said that army had to take the help of helicopters to bring in army commandos to the shootout site. However police said choppers were used to ferry injured soldiers from the battle scene.
CNS quoting eyewitnesses said that four army personnel were air lifted to a hospital in Chandigarh in critical condition.
Some of the injured were identified as Shri Reddy and Kumar Newadi. Unconfirmed reports said that all but 15 persons including 6 policemen, 4 Army personnel, 2 civilians and three militants were killed.
The deceased army personnel were identified as Lt Col Bikramjeet Singh, the second-in-command of the unit, sepoys Kiran Kumar Reddy, MS Rao and Daya Singh.
Lt Col Bikramjit Singh was attached to the 16th Cavalry of the Indian Army, which is a combat unit.
The injured soldiers were identified as commanding officer Col A Uthaiah who has been admitted to the ICU of a military hospital in Pathankot and Sepoy Inder Singh.
The attack in Jammu region is first of its kind after eight army men were killed in a suicide-type militant attack at Hyderpora in Srinagar in June.
Meanwhile, hitherto unknown group, Shohada Brigade has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Sami-ul-Haq , spokesman of Shohada (martyrs) Brigade called a Srinagar based news agency and told it that three of their boys carried out the attacks in Kathua and Samba.
Pertinently, On March 13, 2013, five CRPF men and three militants died in a militant strike on a paramilitary camp at Bemina in Srinagar.
On July 25, 2013 eight army men were killed in a deadly militant ambush on Hyderpora bypass in Srinagar outskirts.
On May 11, 2008 militants killed four people including a photojournalist in Kaili Mandi area of Samba district.
On May 14, 2002, fidayeen killed at least 31 persons, most of them family members of Army personnel, and injured over 60 at Kaluchak in Jammu region.
Giving details about the twin incidents, Director General of Police Ashok Prasad said that all but 11 persons including 4 policemen, 2 Army personnel, 2 civilians and three militants were killed.
Eyewitnesses told CNS that four Army personnel were air lifted to Chandigarh Hospital in critical condition. Some of the injured were identified as Shri Reddy and Kumar Newadi. Unconfirmed reports said that all but 15 persons including 6 policemen, 4 Army personnel, 2 civilians and three militants were killed.