Militants attack Army Camp in Samba District
Militants on Saturday launched an attack on an army camp in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.
A pilgrim bound for the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir was critically injured when militants on Saturday morning launched an attack on an army camp in Samba district, police said.
A resident of Uttar Pradesh was critically injured in the militant attack on the Mesar camp of 82 armoured regiment in Samba district. He was rushed to the Samba district hospital where doctors referred him to the Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu for specialised treatment, a senior police officer said.
“Militants early this morning attacked the Mesar camp of 82 armoured regiment in Samba district. They are using grenades and automatic gunfire to carry out the attack. Most likely, two militants are involved in the attack,” the police officer told .
“Reinforcements are being rushed to the camp to ensure that the militants do not escape,” he added. Saturday’s militant attack came on the morning of the nine-day Navratri festival, and on a day when Muslims are celebrating Nowruz, or the Persian new year, in the state.
Two soldiers and a pilgrim were injured on Saturday in a militant attack on an army camp in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district, police said. Armed with automatic weapons and grenades, militants attacked the Mesar camp of 82 armoured regiment in Samba district in the morning triggering a gunfight with the security forces which is still on.
The army camp is 40 km from the Jammu city on the strategic Jammu-Pathankot national highway. “Most likely two militants are involved in the attack,” a police officer told. Pappu, son of Mahadev Prasad of Ferozabad in Uttar Pradesh, was among the injured. He was on his way to the Mata Vaishnoo Devi shrine in Katra town of Reasi district, police said.
He was shifted to government medical college hospital in Jammu city after doctors at the Samba district hospital referred him. “Two army soldiers have also sustained minor injuries in this attack so far,” the officer said. “Security forces are engaged with the militants in an encounter so that they are prevented from escaping,” the police officer said.
Traffic on the Jammu-Pathankot highway has been suspended and all schools in Samba and Kathua districts of Jammu region have been shut. All exams scheduled in these two districts have also been postponed. The 82 field armoured regiment comes under the 9th Corps headquartered at Yule camp in Dharamshala, Himachel Pradesh.
The camp was also attacked by guerrillas on September 26, 2013 after they attacked the Hiranagar police station in Kathua district that day, killing 12 people. Saturday’s attack comes a day after after guerrillas attacked Rajbagh police station in neighbouring Kathua district of the Jammu region on Friday. Six people – two terrorists, two CRPF troopers, a policeman and a civilian were killed the attack.
The Mesar camp was also attacked on September 26, 2013 by militants after they had attacked the Hiranagar police station in Kathua district. Twelve people had been killed in that attack. On Friday, six people including two militants were killed in a similar attack on the Rajbagh police station in Kathua district.
Intelligence reports had indicated that four militants were involved in Friday’s attack, but only two had been killed. Intelligence sources told that they believe the Saturday’s attack is being carried out by the two guerrillas who survived in Friday’s attack after escaping from the spot.
The Mesar camp houses 82 armoured regiment which comes under the command of army’s 9th Corps that is headquartered in Yule Camp (Dharmshala) in Himachal Pradesh. (IANS)