At least three terrorists was killed after an attack on an Army ambulance in Jammu district’s Akhnoor sector early on October 28 morning. Immediately after the firing by two to three terrorists on the ambulance, heavy reinforcements of security forces were rushed into the area. Soon after, a cordon and search operation was launched in the area, and an encounter ensued.
No details have been officially issued from the Police Control Room (PCR) in Jammu, and senior officials are monitoring the situation. Officials described it as a developing situation, adding the remaining two terrorists are believed to be caught in the cordon.
At around 7 am in the Batal area of Akhnoor, three terrorists opened fire at an Army vehicle and an ambulance. At least a dozen bullets are believed to have hit the ambulance, but miraculously, no casualties were there. The security forces, both police and the Army, then promptly cordoned off the area and launched a hunt for the terrorists who had fired at the vehicle, according to sources.
Less than a week earlier, on October 24, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a high-level security review meeting in Srinagar. This meeting had happened in the wake of the attack at the Z Morh tunnel in the Gagangeer area of Ganderbal. The security grid emerged with many gaps due to the withdrawal of many troops from J&K after the recent assembly elections.
The incident took place at a time when elaborate security measures were implemented in the Jammu region in preparation for the Deepawali festival season. DIG of Jammu, Samba and Kathua range Shiv Kumar Sharma has often carried out surprise checks at night. His arrival unannounced on several check posts over the past two months has helped as those manning it are constantly on their toes.
Incidentally, on October 20, terrorists killed seven people, including a doctor and six migrant workers, at Gagangeer in Sonamarg (Ganderbal). Another migrant worker from Bihar was attacked two days before this incident.
According to an official, an investigation into the attack in Ganderbal district had indicated probable laxity in intelligence gathering.
On October 28 morning, the search operation in the Bhattal area of Khour was launched after three terrorists opened fire on an Army ambulance passing through the main road near Assan temple in Jogwan. The officials said that the terrorists may have sneaked into Jammu from across the border during the intervening night. According to the officials, the terrorists had entered a temple and were desperately looking for a mobile phone to make a call.
The area is not very far away from the Akhnoor-based 10 Infantry Div (Division) headquarters, but some years back, its orientation and deployment pattern were changed. There are now troops stationed here which can be rapidly deployed to counter any threats from across the border. The mobility of the troops here has significantly improved, and more QRTs (Quick Reaction Teams) are available at very short notice.
The main job of these QRTs is to secure the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch road for all kinds of traffic movement. Besides, the road infrastructure had been significantly upgraded due to the widening and construction of some tunnels.
