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Intermittent firing continued for the second day between security personnel and terrorists at CRPF camp in Srinagar's Karan Nagar on 13 February.
Addressing a press conference, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said that the Sunjwan and Karan Nagar attacks had been sponsored by the Jaish-e-Mohammed. She added that Pakistan was responsible for providing the terror outfit with support, and that evidence to prove this was being gathered.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the security situation in Kashmir for the second consecutive day, following the terror attacks, reported India Today.
3G and 4G mobile internet services have been restored in Srinagar. The services were suspended in Srinagar on Monday following an encounter at CRPF camp in Karan Nagar.
Retaliating against Defence Minster Nirmala Sitharaman’s warning that “Pakistan will pay for the misadventure’, the Minister of Defence in the neighbouring country has issued a statement saying that “Pakistan will pay India in its own coin”.
Two terrorists have been eliminated in an ongoing encounter with security forces in Srinagar's Karan Nagar locality, an official told PTI.
IGP Kashmir Swayam Prakash Pani said that the encounter was still underway in Karan Nagar and that two terrorists are suspected to be present.
J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti and Deputy CM Nirmal Singh attended the wreath laying ceremony of the four Army personnel who lost their lives in the Sunjwan Army Camp terror attack.
The chief minister also met the families of the Army personnel who lost their lives in the attack.
CRPF IG Operation Zulfiqar Hasan said that the encounter was still underway in Karan Nagar and that they were operating “cautiously” to avoid collateral damage.
Body of one Army jawan was recovered from Sunjwan Army camp during the clearance operation, Jammu-based Army Public Relation Officer Lt Col Devender Anand told PTI.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met those injured in the Sunjwan Army Camp attack at the Military Hospital in Jammu on 12 January.
Intermittent firing continued for the second day between security personnel and terrorists at CRPF camp in Srinagar's Karan Nagar on 12 February.
The intermittent firing was reported through the night, said ANI. The security forces also conducted a search operation in Jammu's Raipur Domana area.
"An attack (on a camp) was averted and the terrorist fled away," Jammu-based Army spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand told PTI.
A senior police officer said two motorcycle-borne terrorists are believed to have approached the main gate of the camp at Domana on Jammu-Akhnoor road around 0430 hours and fired on the sentry post after security officials signalled them to stop, prompting retaliation.
CRPF Jawan MM Khan of 49 battalion lost his life in encounter with terrorists at CRPF camp in Srinagar's Karan Nagar on Monday, 12 February.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in a press conference, trained her guns on Pakistan, warning the neigbouring country that they would soon ‘pay for this misadventure’.
Stating that the attacks had been sponsored by the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Sitharaman said that Pakistan was responsible for providing the terror outfit with support, and evidence to prove this was being gathered.
Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the Army Hospital in Jammu to inquire after those injured in the Sunjwan terror attack.
Speaking to ANI after his father Subedar Madan Lal Choudhary was shot dead by militants in Sunjwan on Saturday, Ankush Chaudhary said that he was proud to be his son.
Following the attack on a CRPF camp in Karan Nagar, 3G and 4G services have been suspended in Srinagar, reported ANI.
Speaking at the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly today, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti opined that terrorism could not be curbed till there was a dialogue between Pakistan and India.
Mufti further acknowledged that she would be branded ‘anti-national’, should she go initiate a dialogue with Pakistan.
Reminiscing the wars that India had won against Pakistan, Mufti also said that though the forces may have reigned victorious, it cam at the cost of the lives of jawans and civilians.
Slamming Pakistan for the Sunjwan Army Camp terror attack, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said that the Indian government would have to take a tough stance on the apparent terrorism stemming from the neighbouring country.
Speaking to ANI, he said:
The Lashkar-e-Taiba has claimed responsibility for the Sunjwan Army Camp and Karan Nagar terror attacks.
Pakistan warned India against cross-border strikes in the disputed region of Kashmir after Indian authorities blamed a Pakistan-based group for an attack on an army camp in which soldiers and their families were targeted.
Pakistan claimed that the allegations levelled against it by India was meant to distract the attention from the human rights violations being done in Kashmir.
"We hope that the international community would urge India to stop the untold atrocities and gross violations of human rights in IoK (Indian Occupied Kashmir) (and) refrain from any misadventure across the Line of Control..." it said.
The Army said today that the search operation was underway in its Sunjwan camp, which was attacked by a group of suspected JeM terrorists, killing six persons, including five soldiers.
Three suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists involved in the attack were killed in the retaliatory action by the Army inside the camp and a large quantity of arms and ammunition was seized from them.
"The search operation is still on (at the camp)," Jammu- based Army public relations officer Lt Col Devender Anand told PTI.
The mortal remains of Subedar Madal Lal Choudhary, who was killed in the Sunjwan Army Camp attack, has been brought to his residence in Kathua.
Subedar Madal Lal Choudhary, 50, faced a group of heavily armed desperate terrorists with bare hands, took scores of bullets on his chest and arms, yet ensured that the assailants could not inflict much harm on his family.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman leaves for Jammu to assess security situation.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be given a brief over security situation in Jammu & Kashmir at 4 pm in Delhi's North Block.
“There is desperation and panic among the terrorists. They are trying to indulge in at least some kind of terror activities so that their morale can be restored. We are very sorry that some soldiers had to sacrifice their lives,” BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav said.
The CRPF today claimed to have thwarted militants' bid to attack its camp in Karan Nagar area of Srinagar. As per reports, one jawan was injured in the incident.
"The sentry at the camp noticed two suspicious persons at around 4.30 am, carrying back packs and weapons. He challenged them and opened fire as well," a spokesman of the CRPF said.
The militants fled from the spot, the spokesman said, adding searches were going on in the area to track down the ultras.
The incident comes two days after Jaish-e-Mohammad militants attacked an Army camp in Sunjwan area of Jammu, killing six people including five soldiers.
Quoting security sources familiar with the investigation on the attack, Hindustan Times reported that all the attackers were Pakistani citizens operating in Kashmir. They had travelled to Jammu a few days before the attack, the report said.
One of the attackers, Qari Mushtaq alias Chotu, was active in Tral in south Kashmir, the report said. Two others identified as Mohammed Adil alias Irfan Bhai and Mohammed Khalid Khan alias Rashid Bhai were operating in Sopore and Pulwama sectors, a security officer told HT.
AK-56, rifles, grenade launchers, grenades and syringes were recovered from them.
Preliminary probes suggest that the attackers had taken morphine, before entering the camp. They cut through the metal sheets from the rear end of the camp.
Combing operations at Sunjwan Army Camp in Jammu is currently underway. The operation has been going on for 51 hours now.
Pakistan rejected allegations on Sunday that it was involved in the terror attack on Sunjwan Army camp, saying Indian media and officials make "irresponsible" statements even before any investigation is initiated.
The Foreign Office spokesperson also accused India of carrying out a "smear campaign against Pakistan and the deliberate creation of war hysteria."
"A particular segment in the Indian media runs with their innuendos to malign Pakistan and whips up public frenzy. We are confident that the world community would take due cognisance of India's smear campaign against Pakistan, and the deliberate creation of war hysteria," the spokesperson added.
Subedar Madal Lal Choudhary, 50, faced a group of heavily armed desperate terrorists with bare hands, took scores of bullets on his chest and arms, yet ensured that the assailants could not inflict much harm on his family.
Surinder Choudhary said his brother managed to facilitate the exit of family members from the back as he blocked the entry of terrorists. Madan Lal's 20-year-old daughter a received a bullet injury in the leg while his sister-in-law also received minor injuries. But all of them managed to survive.
People of the village, who witnessed the terror of partition in 1947 and are refugees from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), were proud of Madan Lal Choudhary's sacrifice.
Madan Lal Choudhary, who rose to the post of a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) - a Subedar - belonged to a family of defence force personnel.
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team visited the Sunjwan Army camp attacked by a group of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists on Sunday and examined the evidence collected by the Army from the site of the gun battle, an official said.
Though a case has not been registered yet, the NIA team inspected the encounter site inside the camp and examined the evidence collected by the Army, the official said, on condition of anonymity.
The NIA is mandated to probe all terror-related cases in the country as per an act of Parliament. The agency is looking for its link with previous cases which will help them in building a stronger case against Azhar and India can make a firm case at the United Nations, the official said
Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said the attack showed that the measures taken to deal with terrorists had not yielded results and asked the Centre to take all possible steps to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
Four fire tenders were rushed to the Sunjwan Military Station as a precautionary measure, news agency ANI reported.
Ten people were injured in the militant attack at the Sunjwan army camp near Jammu, which included a pregnant lady. The victim delivered a baby girl at a military hospital on Sunday.
Rifleman Nazir Ahmed Khan and his 28-week pregnant wife, Shahzada Khan, 24, were injured in firing by the militants. The woman received gunshot injuries in her lower back. Both were airlifted to the military hospital in the cantonment area, an army official said.
"Both the mother and the baby are stable," he added.
The hospital commandant expressed his elation at his team’s work which worked overnight to save the pregnant victim’s life.
The gynecologist said that this is a joyful moment for the hospital and the team to have saved the victim in an otherwise challenging case.
However, a 14-year-old boy who had suffered a gunshot wound to the head was in a critical condition.
(With inputs from PTI)
Congress President Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to strongly condemn the attack.
“All Indians, across political lines, stand united with our Army men and women,” he said, adding that his prayers and thoughts are with the families of those killed and injured.
Minister of Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal, on the other hand, said that the nation should stand behind our security forces and that the Congress is trying to politicise the tragedy.
BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav said that “such unfortunate incidents” often occur in the war against terror.
“But we will continue to fight,” he added.
The operation to flush out JeM terrorists from the Army camp has entered it’s second day. The Army, however, said that there was no firing during the night and the focus remains on evacuation of people from the family quarters, reported PTI.
“The operation is on and the evacuation (of people from the family quarters) is in progress," Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand told PTI.
Officials had told PTI that the terrorists entered the family accommodation complex after which quick response teams corderene of the area and isolated the terrorist. According to the officials, the terrorists are now holed up in a few house inside the camp.
Contingents of CRPF and the police are posted outside the boundary wall to keep curious onlookers away and avoid civilian casualties.
In an ANI interview, deputy CM of Jammu and Kashmir Nirmal Singh has condemned the attack and said that the army is taking precautions and cordoning the area.
The operation has been underway since the last 27 hours.
Chief of Indian Army Staff General Bipin Rawat is monitoring the operation and will visit the army camp once all terrorists have been eliminated, say media reports.
According to an NDTV report, Congress Communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said that he was deeply concerned by the fact that there had been 14 major militant attacks on the Army in Jammu and Kashmir ever since this NDA government came to power in 2014.
He pointed out that there had been 206 terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir alone and 382 Army personnel have been killed since 2014. Surjewala also said that 14 soldiers had been killed in the last 31 days.
According to the NDTV report he also said: "Like Modiji, we will not make any political comment. We are with the government and the Army,"
As the Army deployed armoured vehicles around the military camp, reports have come in that a third terrorist has been killed in the operations at the Sunjwan Army Camp. Operation are still underway.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti took a trip to the Military Hospital to meet the people injured in the attack on the Sujwan Army Camp.
In another update, armoured vehicles were deployed at the Army camp in the late hours of Saturday in order to carry forward the operations at the camp.
Locals around the Sunjwan Army Camp provide food and water to security personnel at the Sunjwan Army Camp where operations are still going on after the attack by JeM terrorists.
In a major breakthrough to the Indian Army, reports are coming in that the army has neutralised a second terrorist, the Defence PRO told the media outside the Sunjwan Army Camp.
“Search of their belongings confirm the terrorists to be from Jaish-e-Mohammed. So far JCO and 1 NCO both belonging to Jammu and Kashmir have been martyred and 9 others are injured. Two of them being critical. Ops will continue till all terrorist are apprehended or killed”, Col Anand said.
Out of the 9 injured, 5 are reported to be women and children.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti chaired a high level security meeting in Jammu following the attack on Army camp in Sunjwan, the meeting was attended by Jammu and Kashmir police, DGP SP Vaid as well as other security agencies.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that the army is doing its job effectively and they won’t ever let any Indian bow their head.
1 terrorist has been declared killed while another army jawan was injured at the Sunjwan Army Camp. Reports say that 3 terrorists are still holed up in the Army Camp. The army has also seized one AK 47 and other weapons from the spot.
The Army has evacuated 19 of the 26 flats inside the army camp and operations are still on.
Following the attack on camp, security has been heightened in border areas adjoining to Jammu and Kashmir following attack on army post in Sunjwan
Addressing the media hours after Sunjwan terror attack. the Indian Army said that one JCO has been martyred while six others, including ladies and children, suffered minor injuries. Media reports earlier said that two JCOs had been killed in the attack.
Reacting to the terror attack on the Sunjwan army camp in Jammu earlier on Saturday, former J&K Chief Minister and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah said:
Hours after the terror attack on the Sunjwan camp in Jammu, the Army issued a statement saying, “The attack has been contained and the operations are still in progress,” reported CNN News18.
J&K Assembly speaker and BJP leader Kavinder Gupta also raised suspicions with regard to Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living in the Jammu area after the terror attack on the Sunjwan army camp.
Gupta further went on to narrate how he has seen a video which shows drug mafia running in areas where Rohingyas and Bangladeshis live.
"For money, some people have given them (Rohingyas and Bangladeshis) space to stay. The government must take note of this," he told ANI.
Two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) were killed and six others injured in the terror attack on the Sunjwan camp, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri said.
The minister informed the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly that Subedar Maganlal and Subedar Mohammed Ashraf were killed in the attack by a group of militants, reported PTI.
While the minister did not specify the group affiliation of the militants who launched the attack, officials said Jaish-e-Mohammed militants were behind the terror strike.
J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti took to Twitter to condemn the terror attack on the army camp in Jammu's Sunjwan.
BJP MLC Vikram Randhawa said that the terror attack on Sunjwan army camp might be connected to the Rohingyas living in surrounding areas of Jammu.
Meanwhile, BJP MLAs raised anti-Pakistan slogans in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Saturday.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to the chief of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and took stock of the situation arising out of the terror attack on the army camp, reported PTI.
During the telephonic conversation, the Home Minister sought details from Director General of Police SP Vaid on the terrorist attack, according to a tweet by the Home Minister's Office.
After militants attacked the Sunjwan army camp earlier on Saturday, IAF para commandos were airlifted to Jammu from Udhampur. Para commandos from Sarsawa, Uttar Pradesh, will also be airlifted to Jammu.
Unconfirmed reports have come in saying that one person has died in the gunfight.
The militants, believed to be two or three, entered from the rear side of Sunjwan army camp where family quarters are located, officials told PTI. The group hurled grenades and used heavy volume of automatic gunfire to enter the military station, police sources told IANS.
However, the militants have been isolated.
Earlier, Jammu IGP SD Singh Jamwal told ANI:
The schools within 500 metres of the camp have been asked to remain closed by the district administration.
Soon after the attack, reinforcements of the Army's special forces and the SOG rushed to the spot and cordoned off the whole area amid a fierce gunfight, security official said.
A high alert has been sounded in Jammu and security beefed up in and around the city.
The camp falls under the first Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry in 36 brigade.
Intelligence inputs had warned of an attack on the army or security establishment by Jaish-e-Mohammed in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru who was hanged on 9 February 2013.
Militants had attacked the same army station in 2006. Twelve soldiers were killed and seven others were injured in that attack before the two 'fidayeen' (suicide) terrorists were killed.
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