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Civilian injured as militants fire upon security personnel on NH

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 9/13/2018 11:56:15 AM

Alert sounded across Jammu

JAMMU, Sep 12: One civilian sustained injuries when militants, suspected to be part of Jaish-e-Mohammed fidayeen group, opened fire on security personnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway when their truck was intercepted for speeding past a check-post near Jhajjar Kotli Wednesday morning.
The militants, two to three in number, managed to escape into a forest area near Jhajjar Kotli. The police, however, arrested driver and conductor of the truck. In the meanwhile, high alert was sounded across Jammu while the forces launched Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in the areas along the entire stretch of National Highway.Police said that the militants opened fire when they were stopped on the highway by security forces as part of routine checking and asked them to step out of the truck.
After the incident, the Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh, while talking to media, stated, “A firing incident was reported on National Highway near Police Station Jhajjar Kotli falling in between Jammu and Udhampur. Police has intercepted a truck. One AK and three magazines were recovered from the intercepted truck. Driver and conductor were taken into custody. They are being questioned. Two to three suspected militants, who ran away from the truck, are being chased. Police, army and CRPF personnel have been activated. Cordon And Search Operation is on ahead of Suketar village near Katra crossing National Highway. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi security components are also alerted.”
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Jammu, Vivek Gupta, said that the police personnel, posted at a check post on the highway, signalled a truck to stop, but it sped away. “The truck was intercepted by a police team after a chase at Jhajjar Kotli and the suspected militants fired on them from the vehicle before fleeing, he said. One of the bullets hit a forest guard, who was passing by. Thereafter, the militants fled towards Udhampur side. Reinforcements of police and paramilitary forces were immediately rushed towards the area. However, the driver and the conductor of the truck were taken into custody and the hunt was on for absconding militants, the SSP said.
In the firing by militants, a civilian, who is an employee of Sericulture department, sustained bullet injury. Gupta said an AK assault rifle and three magazines were seized from the truck during a search.
The injured forest guard has been identified as Ganesh Dass, 54, son of Tara Chand, resident of Jhajjar Kotli. He was shifted to Government Medical College Hospital Jammu with bullet injury.
According to the police, the militants, seemed to be part of fidayeen group, were heading to Kashmir. Later, the police issued an advisory, urging people to “inform the force about the three suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed militants who have escaped after opening fire on security personnel on the state's main highway.”
The police spokesperson said, “Residents should inform the Senior Superintendent of Police of Police Control Room, Jammu, on mobile number: 7006690780. The informer would be suitable rewarded.”
The police spokesman said, “The terrorists are in the 18-22 age group. Two of them have AK rifles and the third has a pistol. One of them is wearing a pathan dress and two are in pants, shirts.” Police said all checkpoints on the highway were put on alert and vehicles were being checked.
The latest terrorist attack along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway has come seven months after three militants attacked Sunjwan military station in Jammu killing half a dozen people including five soldiers before getting killed. In 2015, two militants had attacked a BSF convoy at Narsoo, at nearly 30 kms from Jhajjar Kotli, along the national highway near Udhampur. In the exchange of fire, while one militant was killed, another was captured alive.
Significantly, during the past fortnight, there has been a surge in incidents of militant sighting across Jammu region. Since Monday, police and security forces have been carrying out a massive cordon and search operation in Lamberi and surrounding areas in Rajouri district.