JammuGovernment forces have killed three militants holed up in the Sunjwan Army camp here, while six people, including five Army personnel, have been killed in the attack by militants, Army officials said on Sunday
A defence spokesperson in a statement said three militants had so far been killed in the ongoing operation
A group of heavily armed men struck the sprawling camp of the 36 brigade of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry before dawn on Saturday. Five Army men, including two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs), were killed in the attack
The spokesperson said the third militant was also found wearing Army combats and was heavily armed like the other two.
AK-56 rifles, Under Barrel Grenade Launcher, ammunitions and grenades were seized from them, he said
A senior police official had earlier said that four militants were killed by security forces
A JCO and a jawan were killed on Saturday
The spokesperson said during sanitation of residential quarters by the Army commandos, bodies of another JCO, two jawans and an elderly man, the father of a soldier, were recovered
All six of them had been killed by the militants in the initial stage of the attack on Saturday
Ten people, including six women and children, were injured in the attack, the spokesperson said
One of the injured woman was pregnant. She later delivered a baby girl through a caesarean operation and both the mother and child were stable, the spokesperson said
A 14-year-old boy had suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was in a critical condition
The sanitation and search operations were underway.
“The operation is on and the evacuation (of people from the family quarters) is in progress,” Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand told PTI
He said a number of families were still in the camp and the Army’s aim was to ensure their safety
“There has been no firing since last night,” the officer said
The latest attack on the camp took place nearly 15 months after the Jammu region was hit by a similar attack
On November 29, 2016, militants had stormed the Army’s Nagrota camp on the outskirts of the city, killing seven Army personnel, including two officers. Three militants were gunned down in the operation
The militants had struck before dawn on Saturday and managed to sneak into the camp from the rear end of the base after a brief exchange of fire with the sentry guarding the periphery
“The militants entered the family accommodation complex after which quick response teams cordoned off the area and isolated the militants, who are holed up in a few houses (inside the camp),” an official said
While there was no action around the main entrance and vehicles were moving along the Jammu-Lakhanpur bypass in front of the camp, Army personnel in bullet-proof vehicles were engaged in the operation to rescue people from the family quarters in the rear side of the base
Contingents of CRPF and police were posted outside the boundary wall and were keeping curious onlookers at bay to prevent civilian casualties
A high alert has been sounded in Jammu and security beefed up in and around the city
Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on an Army or security establishment by militants in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru.
Mehbooba Chairs Security Meeting, Visits Injured In Hospital
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Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti took stock of the situation arising out of the attack at Sunjwan Army camp early morning at a high level meeting of officers here on Saturday.
Condemning the act, the Chief Minister described the attack as an effort by elements inimical to peace to break the developmental pace in the State, thereby putting the common masses to immense trouble. She appealed all sections of society to stand together in such a sensitive time and defeat the designs of the perpetrators who also want to divide people under different names besides creating chaos in the society and the State.
Mehbooba Mufti paid rich tributes to the slain Army personnel, praised their valour and sympathised with the bereaved families of soldiers. She also wished the injured soldiers a speedy recovery.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister was briefed about the flush out operation at the spot. She also reviewed the overall security situation in the State and along the borders.
Asking the security agencies to maintain close coordination, the Chief Minister directed the Police and other security agencies to maintain vigil in the State and ensure that no subversive element is allowed to disturb peace in the State. She also directed maintaining strict vigil on vital installations, airports, bus stations and other crowded places.
Chief Secretary, B. B. Vyas; Director General of Police, Dr. S P Vaid; Principal Secretary, Home, R K Goyal; ADGP, CID, A G Mir; Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Rohit Kansal and other senior officers were present in the meeting.
Later in the evening, GoC in C, Northern Command, Lt. Gen. Devraj Anbu apprised the Chief Minister about the Sunjwan attack and flush out operations there.
Later in the evening, Mehbooba visited Army Hospital, Satwari and enquired about the condition of those injured in the attack.
The Chief Minister met all the injured and wished them a speedy recovery. She also interacted with the doctors attending them and enquired about their condition and assured all support from the State Government in the treatment of the injured.
Director General of Police, Dr. S P Vaid; IGP, Jammu, Dr. SDS Jamwal, senior officers of Army, Police and civil administration were present on the occasion.
Farooq Asks Pak To Avoid Indias Attack
National Conference patron Dr Farooq Abdullah on Saturday attacked Pakistan following a fidayeen attack on an Army camp in Jammu and asked the neighbouring nation to stop sending terrorists if it wanted to improve relations with India.
He said “war cannot solve any problem” and could lead to bad consequences.
“Thus to avoid war with India and improve relations with the neighbouring country, Pakistan must stop the daily routine of sending trained militants to India,” Abdullah said while talking to the media at Mulanpur Dakha, 25km from here.
The NC leader suggested that representatives of both the countries should sit together and sort out the matter.
Sixth major attack in Jammu in 15-years
The latest militant strike on an army camp in Sunjwan by a group militants came 15 months after five similar attacks in Nagrota on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, in which seven army personnel were killed
In the Nagrota strike on November 29, 2016, a suicide squad targeted the army base killing seven personnel including two officers. Three militants were also killed
In the early hours on Saturday, a group of militants sneaked into the army’s 36 brigade camp of light infantry in Sunjwan, killing two junior commissioned officers (JCOs).
The Jammu region has witnessed several major militant strikes in the past
In March 2015, there were two militant strikes in the region. On March 20, a fidayeen squad of militants in army fatigues stormed a police station in Kathua district killing seven people
A day after, two militants were killed during a fidayeen attack at an army camp on Jammu-Pathankot national highway in Samba District. Three people including two army personnel were injured in the attack
On November 27, 2014, three soldiers and four civilians were killed in a day-long encounter with militants at the border village of Kathaar in Arnia sector, close to the International Border, of Jammu district. Three militants were killed in the operation On September 26, 2013, at least 13 killed in twin suicide attacks Jammu
A three-member team storms an army camp killing eight security force personnel, including a Brigadier, and injuring 12 others in Akhnoor on July 22, 2003
On May 14, 2002, thirty-six people were killed and 48 others injured in a fidayeen attack at an army cantonment in Kaluchak, Jammu.
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