1 killed, 4 injured in terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu: Three terrorists in Army fatigues opened fire at a vehicle in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district on Friday, killing one person and injuring three others.

"Three persons wearing Army uniform intercepted a SUV, forced out the occupants and opened fire on them at Tarnah Nallah bridge in Dayala Chak belt of Kathua district around 0500 hours", a police officer said.

The attack took place in Army area, just few kilometres away from the international border. Police suspect that the militants who infiltrated recently carried out the attack.

A vehicle carrying the suspected militants was intercepted by the Army near a private college in Kalibari-Janglote belt of Kathua district, resulting in fresh firing which was going on when last reports came in from the area.

Heavy firing between the two sides is going on, police said. One jawan has been injured in heavy exchange of fire between militants and security forces.

Security has been stepped up at Army camps and important places in Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts.

This is the second major terror attack in Kathua district. On September 26, 2013, three heavily-armed terrorists had attacked a police station and an Army camp in the border districts of Kathua and Samba, killing ten people, including four policemen and a Army officer.

An outfit calling itself the 'Shohada Brigade' had claimed responsibility for the twin terror attacks. However, security forces believe the Lashkar-e-Toiba was behind it.

BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had addressed a rally in Hiranagar-Dayalachak belt of Kathua district on March 26, in which he had had hit out at Pakistan.

Army chief Gen Bikram Singh has briefed Defence Minister A K Antony on the encounter in Kathua, Defence ministry officials said.

According to security agencies, a 'Bolero' was intercepted by the three men, who are suspected to be Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists, near a bridge in Hiranagar area and all the occupants were asked to get down. 

One of the injured told police that the only word uttered by terrorist was "utro" (get down) and after which the driver was separated from the passengers.

The terrorists opened fire at the occupants, who were on their way to Gurdaspur, and hijacked the vehicle along with driver Taraseem Singh.

Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Ashok Prasad told PTI that immediately after the police control room was informed at 4:47 AM, all check posts and security establishments were alerted.

Despite bad weather, helicopters were pressed into service to locate the vehicle which was finally spotted in a nallah (seasonal canal) outside 111 Rocket division in Kathua, he said.

Senior Army officials were informed as a result of which terrorists could not even approach the main gate of the army camp where an alert guard had engaged them in fire fighting.

The terrorists are suspected to have entered through Tarlah Nallah in order to carry out a suicide attack ahead of Lok Sabha polls. The same route was used by terrorists to enter into the state on September 26 last year in which 12 people including Lt Col Bikramjeet Singh was killed.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the attack. "I'd like to unequivocally condemn today's militant attack in Kathua area of Jammu. As this is very much still an ongoing operation, I will not be commenting or reacting to today's events until the security forces have declared the operation as concluded," he tweeted.

The vehicle was carrying five persons including the driver. Out of this Ajit Ram, a resident of Vijaypur in Jammu, was declared brought dead by the hospital while other three -- Kamaljeet Singh, Gurpreet Singh and Santokh Singh -- were being treated in hospital.