Jammu- Two days after nine people died after the bus they were travelling in was shot at by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, a terrorist was shot dead by security forces during an encounter after ultras on Tuesday evening opened fire at a village in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.
The terrorists struck Saida Sukhal village near Koota Mode in the Hiranagar sector, a police spokesperson said, adding details of the incident are awaited.
Officials said police and other security forces were rushed to the village following suspicious movement of three persons around 7.45 pm.
A couple of gunshots were heard, believed to be fired by the suspected terrorists, after some people raised an alarm, they said.
One terrorist was killed in the exchange of firing and a search operation is on to track down the other terrorists believed to be holed up in the village, the officials said.
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said it was a terrorist attack on the house of an unnamed person in the village near the international border. Singh said he was in “continuous online contact” with DC Kathua Rakesh Minhas and in touch with SSP Kathua Anayat Ali Choudhary “who is on the spot.”
“The owner of the house that was attacked (name not to be disclosed) is also in touch on mobile phone. Joint police & para military operation is going on. One terrorist neutralised so far. I and my office are in constant touch and keeping a close watch on the developments,” the minister posted on X.
Over 20 Detained For Questioning
Extensive efforts to track down terrorists involved in the attack on pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district continued on Tuesday, with 11 teams of security personnel working on the ground and a multi-directional cordon laid around the Ranso-Poni-Treyath belt, officials said.
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team also joined the operation and scanned the area for leads, they said.
Security forces have sounded a high alert in Jammu and Rajouri districts and intensified checking and frisking in the belt following the terror attack that left nine dead and 41 injured.
According to the officials, more than 20 people have been detained for questioning.
On Sunday, terrorists opened fire at the 53-seater bus carrying pilgrims when it was en route from the Shiv Khori temple to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra near Teryath village in the Poni area.
The bus, which was ferrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, plunged into a deep gorge following the gunfire.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Udhampur-Reasi Range, Rayees Mohammad Bhat said the security forces have got some leads as 11 teams of police, Army and CRPF are jointly working on two different axes to neutralise the fleeing terrorists.
“The search operation is going on today in and around the area (where the attack took place) with 11 teams working on the ground apart from a multi-directional cordon laid around the (Poni-Treyath) belt,” another senior police officer said.
The officials said that based on the statements of those injured in the attack, they have not ruled out the possibility of a fourth person being present at the spot who acted as a lookout for the three terrorists.
Sources said security forces suspect the Pakistani terrorists are hiding in the mountainous terrains of Rajouri and Reasi and have intensified combing operations in the region. They are taking directions from Pakistan’s ISI through secured communication, the sources said.
There are reports that four terrorists including a local over ground worker were involved in the attack which was carried out on the directions of Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Abu Hamza, they said.
The NIA team visited the attack site for the second consecutive day on Tuesday. It examined the entire area, including the bus, and recreated the scene of the attack. They have also questioned some of the detainees to gather leads related to the attack.
Armed with surveillance equipment, including drones, and sniffer dogs, the security personnel launched the massive combing operation on Monday. A chopper was also pressed into service to keep an eye on movement in the area.
Of the 41 people injured in the attack, 10 sustained bullet wounds. Bus driver Vijay Sharma died of multiple bullet wounds. As many as 11 bullet marks were found at various places on the bus, the officials said.
The teams of NIA, State Investigation Agency (SIA) and forensic department joined the probe on Monday.
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