By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, April 23:
Two terrorists and a CISF inspector was killed and security personnel were injured, in an encounter on Friday, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Samba in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.
A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) S P Patil was killed and five others were injured when a bus carrying 15 CISF personnel going for morning shift duties was attacked by terrorists at about 4.25 hrs near Chaddha Camp in Sunjwan area of Jammu on Friday. The terrorists fired at the bus and lobbed grenades injuring ASI Patil and others. Patil succumbed to injuries while others are admitted to the local hospital.
The CISF averted the terrorist attack, retaliated effectively, and forced the terrorists to run away. After that the terrorists and took shelter in the house of a local resident. Later they attacked CISF personnel while going for an ongoing cordon and search operation.
The gunfight began when terrorists opened fire on the search party. In the retaliatory firing, two terrorists were killed. They were identified as Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militants wearing fidayeen (suicide attackers) vests, whose aim was to inflict maximum damage on forces. Defence PRO Colonel Devendra Anand, Jammu told the Imphal Times that the encounter was carried out by the J & K Police and armed forces were coordinating with police and other security forces.
Dr. Anil Pandey, DIG Operations, CISF told the Imphal Times that while ASI Patil was killed, five others were injured, one of them grievously, in the attack. Our 13 companies are deployed in law and order support duty across J&K, he added.
“DG CISF and all ranks salute the supreme sacrifice of #Braveheart ASI S P Patil who laid down his life while valiantly fighting terrorists @ Jammu. Your indomitable courage and selfless sacrifice would remain an abiding source of aspiration for us. We stand with the aggrieved family” CISF said in a tweet.
Director-General of Police (DGP), J&K Dilbag Singh said that the slain militants were tasked to carry out a major suicide strike to sabotage the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both the militants were foreigners and were tasked to either target a security camp or to engage a large number of security forces to inflict maximum causalities.
Acting on the information about the presence of militants in the Sunjwan area, a cordon was laid by the police and CISF personnel and the militants’ bid was foiled. As of now, there are no inputs to suggest that the slain militants were planning to attack the PM’s upcoming rally at Samba on April 24.
Three AK-47 rifles, grenades, magazines, eatables, medicines, energy drinks, etc were recovered from the militants. These are normally found on fidayeen. Since they had no old history, it seems they had infiltrated recently just to carry out a big strike,” the DGP Singh added.
In the meanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Palli Village in the Samba district on the occasion of Panchayati Raj Diwas on Sunday. Over 700 panchayats across the country will be connected virtually to the main function at Palli Panchayat. On the occasion the PM will address over 30,000 members of J & K rural bodies. He is also scheduled to launch the industrial development projects with an investment of Rs 70,000 crore. He will also inaugurate a 500 KV solar project to provide clean electricity to 340 odd households. The plant has been set up under the Gram Urja Swaraj program by a Public Sector Undertaking functioning under the Department of Scientific and industrial research.
