JK CM, laying wreath on the bodies of martyrs at Jammu Police Lines-Scoop News
Samba/Jammu, September 26 (Scoop News)- Army operation over in Samba as all three terrorist involved in the twin terror attacks in Jammu region, which killed nine persons, including four policemen and an army officer, were gunned down.
Army confirms that three terrorists have been gunned down in Samba sector.
Defence sources said that Lt Col Bikram Jeet and two soldiers were shot dead at an army camp in Samba.
It may be mentioned here that at least nine people, including four policemen, three army personnel, and two civilians were killed as terrorists first attacked a police station in Hiranagar town of Kathua district and later stormed an Army camp in adjoining Samba district on Thursday morning.
The attack comes a day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left for the US on Wednesday where he is scheduled to meet Sharif on Sunday for talks which have been opposed by the BJP.Today’s attack is seen as a bid to derail the meeting from across the border.
According to police, the three militants first barged into the police station near Jammu-Pathankot National Highway around 6.45 a.m. and indiscriminately fired after hurling a grenade.
Four policemen, including an Assistant Sub-Inspector, were killed and another ASI was injured in the attack that also left a civilian dead, Police said.
According to police the militants later hijacked a tempo truck on the highway, boarded it and forced its driver to move towards Jammu.
The truck was stopped outside the army camp at Samba and the militants opened indiscriminate firing on the jawans deployed at its security gate before they stormed the premises.
They barged into the Army mess where they resorted to heavy indiscriminate firing as the troops geared up and retaliated resulting in fierce gunbattle.
Sources said two army personnel, including a Lieutenant Colonel, Vikramjeet Singh were killed and three others including the Commanding Officer of the unit were injured.
Shohada brigade A Pakistan based militant outfit Shohada brigade had owened the responsibility for twin attack in Hiranagar and Samba.
Spokesperson of the outfit on phone told Srinagar bureau of Indian news agency PTI said that our outfit carried the attacks in Kathua and Samba in Jammu region and our mujhahideen are still fighting there. The spokesman said the militants were three in number and were all locals.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Manmohan Singh terming the twin terror strikes in Jammu region as a provocative and barbaric action by enemies of peace. He on Thursday asserted that India will defeat such forces who receive encouragement from across the border and it will not allow them to derail the dialogue process.
“No words are strong enough to condemn the heinous terrorist attack on Hira Nagar police station and Army camp at Sambha in Jammu and Kashmir this morning,” Singh said in a statement en route to the US to attend the UN General Assembly session on the sidelines
“Such attacks will not deter us and will not succeed in derailing our efforts to find a resolution to all problems through a process of dialogue,” he said, indicating that the talks with Sharif will go ahead as per schedule.
“I convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of the brave army and police officers as well as the innocent civilian martyred in this cowardly attack,” he added.
“We are firmly resolved to combat and defeat the terrorist menace that continues to receive encouragement and reinforcement from across the border,” he said.
Pakistan condemns J&K terror attack. Pak High Commission statement says, “Our hearts go out in sympathy to families of all those who fell victim to the acts of terrorist violence in Jammu today.”
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while condemned the militants attack at Kathua and Samba in which dozen of people inclding policemen,army personnel killed on Thuresday ,says terror strike aims at derailing proposed talks between India and Pakistan.
“Amidst the attack there will be political pressure on the PM to resist any further movement in the dialogue process with Nawaz Sharif and it is for the PM and his advisors to take care on how to go ahead with this matter,” the J&K CM further said.
He also expressed condolences to families who have lost their loved ones in today’s attack.
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