srinagar:
A fierce firefight has broken out between security forces and terrorists near an army installation in Jammu, two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the region. A security official has been killed and four others injured in the first shooting, officials said.
The meeting began after security forces launched an operation in the Sunjwan cantonment area of Jammu city before dawn. Police said they had information that terrorists were planning an attack in the city.
PM Modi arrives in Jammu on Sunday. The presence of terrorists near a vital military installation in the city is a major security concern ahead of his first political visit to Jammu and Kashmir after the former state’s special status was revoked in August 2019.
PM Modi will address a large gathering attended by thousands of Panchayat members in Palli village.
Prior to the visit, security was tightened and security forces patrolled around the clock to prevent any terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to official sources, the police have received information about the presence of at least two terrorists in Sunjwan.
When they launched an operation, they came under heavy fire. An assistant sub-inspector of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was killed and four others were injured in the initial shoot-out. A fierce confrontation is underway.
“We cordoned off the area overnight after receiving a report that terrorists are hiding here and planning action. In the morning, the cordon was fired upon, killing one security personnel and wounding four others. The encounter continues.” , said Mukesh Singh, additional director general of police in Jammu.
Sunjwan’s army was targeted by terrorists in February 2018, killing several people.
Since last month, there has been a spate of terrorist incidents in the Kashmir Valley. Four Panchayat members were killed and several migrant workers injured in targeted attacks.
Yesterday, three terrorists, including a top commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba, were killed by security forces in the Baramulla district. The operation that began Thursday morning is still ongoing. Security forces suspect the presence of a few more terrorists in the target area.