Two days ahead of the PM’s visit, in the early morning on Friday, a fierce gun battle took place between the security forces and terrorists near an army installation in Jammu where two terrorists have been killed while a security officer sacrificed his life and four others injured in the shoot-out. The encounter started after security forces launched a pre-dawn operation at the Sunjwan cantonment area in Jammu city.
As per the media reports, the police said they had information that terrorists were planning an attack in the city. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), however, said terrorists targeted a bus carrying its personnel and an Assistant Sub Inspector was killed.
Jammu and Kashmir police chief Dilbag Singh told the media, that two terrorists have been killed in the Sunjwan encounter. Terrorists holed up at Sunjwan were planning a major attack. The aim was to inflict maximum casualties on security forces.
A CISF official said terrorists attacked a bus carrying 15 personnel in the morning. “The CISF retaliated effectively and forced the terrorists to flee. One CISF officer was killed and two others injured in action,” he added.
The presence of terrorists near a vital military installation in the city is a major security concern ahead of PM Modi’s first political visit to Jammu and Kashmir after the former state’s special status was revoked in August 2019. He will address a major rally which will be attended by thousands of Panchayat members at Palli village.
Yesterday, four terrorists including a top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander were killed by security forces in the Baramulla district. The operation which started Thursday morning is still underway. Security forces suspect the presence of a few more terrorists in the target area.
When asked about the encounter, Mukesh Singh, additional director general of police in Jammu, told the media personnel:
“We cordoned off the area during the night after we received an input that terrorists are hiding here and planning some action. In the morning, there was firing on the cordon, in which one security forces personnel was killed, and four others are injured. The encounter is going on”.
There has been a spurt in terrorist incidents in Kashmir Valley since last month. Four Panchayat members were killed, and several migrant workers have been injured in targeted attacks.
