Security situation remained tense in Jammu & Kashmir on Tuesday even as security forces shot dead two holed-up terrorists to end the 28-hour gun battle at Karan Nagar in summer capital Srinagar. At the same time, security forces launched a massive search operation after Army personnel foiled a suspected terrorist attack on their camp in Jammu, three days after a deadly strike on Sunjwan military station
Meanwhile, with the recovery of one more body of a soldier from inside Sunjwan military station the death toll in the terror strike has now risen to seven.
Six soldiers of the Indian Army and one civilian have been killed and 10 others were injured in the attack.
Confirming the elimination of two holed-up terrorists in the prolonged Karan Nagar gunfight that began on Monday morning, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir Range) Soyam Prakash Pani said the identity of the slain terrorists was being ascertained.
Addressing a Press conference in Srinagar, Pani said armed with assault rifles and ammunition-filled rucksack bags, two terrorists had attempted to force their entry into a CRPF battalion headquarters. They were repulsed by an alert sentry.
While planning the operation due care was taken to avoid any collateral damage to the civilian or the property in the congested area, he added.
During the initial phase of the operation, CRPF constable Mujahid Khan, a resident of Arah district of Bihar succumbed to critical injuries. A policeman from district police lines Srinagar also sustained bullet injuries. He is reported to be stable.
Two AK-47 rifles, eight AK-47 magazines and other war like stores were recovered from the encounter site.
The encounter began on Monday morning when two terrorists believed to be members of a suicide squad failed to sneak into the 23 Battalion headquarters in the wee hours. The repulse from alert sentry forced the attackers to flee from the spot and take positions in an under construction concrete building in the periphery of the camp. The ensuing gunfight continued for 28 hours, one of the longest in summer capital Srinagar.
Pani said the slain terrorists belonged to the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT). "The materials we recovered from the site of the encounter suggest that the terrorists belonged to LeT. But the terrorists have not been identified yet and we are trying to ascertain their identity," he said.
Authorities had imposed strict restrictions under Sec 144 CrPC in old city areas during the day. In addition, the whole Karan Nagar area and its surroundings remained under tight cordon with heavy deployment of police and security forces in riot gear, to prevent protests or any other law and order problems in the sensitive city areas.
Police also issued advisory to general people not to go near the encounter site as Bomb Disposal Squad was undertaking post-encounter sanitisation operation for clearing the area off the live ammunition and explosive material.
In Jammu, the anti-terror operation was called off on Monday morning but sanitisation operations continued to rule out the possibility of any 'bobby' traps' and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) left behind by the terrorists during the fierce gun battle.
Defence PRO Lt-Col Devendra Anand issued a statement saying, "one more body was recovered from inside Sunjwan military station during ongoing sanitisation drive."
Lt-Col Anand said the total casualties included six soldiers and one civilian. The deceased soldier was identified as Havaldar Rakesh Chandra of Paurigarhwal.
In another development, Army personnel foiled a suspected terrorist attack on their camp in Jammu, three days after a deadly strike by Jaish-e-Mohammad on Sunjwan military station.
"An attack (on a camp) was averted and the terrorist fled away," Jammu-based Defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said.
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.
"An investigation has started and a search operation is underway to track down the fleeing terrorists," the official said adding that an alert has been sounded in the area.