New Delhi: Two days after a bus carrying pilgrims was attacked in Reasi and crashed into a gorge, killing nine passengers, the typically peaceful Jammu and Kashmir provinces of Doda and Kathua were struck by two separate terror attacks on Tuesday, resulting in the death of a CRPF jawan while six security personnel were injured, officials said.
In Doda district, terrorists attacked a joint checkpost of the 4 Rashtriya Rifles and police on the Bhaderwah-Pathankot road late on Tuesday night, leading to a fierce gunfight.
The terrorist attack in Kathua’s Saida Sukhal village occurred on Tuesday evening, injuring a civilian. During a subsequent search operation, one terrorist was killed, and efforts were being made to flush out the other holed-up terrorist who is believed to have infiltrated from across the border.
Sharing details of the encounters earlier on Wednesday morning, Anand Jain, Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, who is supervising the anti-terrorist ops in Kathua, said in Doda, terrorists opened fire at a joint party of police and Rashtriya Rifles at an army base in Chattargala area late last night. An encounter is underway between the security forces and the terrorists in the higher reaches, NDTV quoted him as saying.
According to the police, two terrorists were involved in the Kathua attack last evening and one of them has been killed. Security forces are now using drones to hunt for the second one in the Hiranagar area of Kathua.
The terrorists had asked for water from several houses, raising villagers’ suspicions, and opened fire when some villagers raised an alarm, the police said. One civilian was injured in the firing, Jain said while denying reports that three people died in the Kathua attack, the report added.
“There are rumours that many people are injured and three are dead. But only one civilian was injured, other than this all information regarding hostages being held and death, are rumours,” he said.
The security force personnel who was killed during the encounter belonged to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
