Around 5 am, they reached Mishriwalla and opened fire on Armymen deployed on the road as part of the combing operation after the infiltration. When the troops retaliated, the militants made the autorickshaw turn towards Domana. The “guide” on the motorcycle fell down and was captured by the troops.

Near the Domana police station, the militants opened fire on an Army check post, killing a JCO, V V Parkashan of 9 Madras Rifles. They then sped away and gunned down a constable, Shahid, who was riding a motorcycle near Chinnore.

Autorickshaw driver Dharam Pal managed to slip away and the militants then stopped another autorickshaw headed for Chinnore. It was being driven by Army Havaldar Vijay Kumar — he was going home in his father’s autorickshaw. Once they reached Chinnore Chowk, the militants gunned down Vijay Kumar and also shot dead an ex-serviceman, Naseeb Singh. They then crossed a maize field and entered the house of Billu Ram Bhagat.

Bhagat was not at home — he was taken to hospital after being bitten by a snake the previous night — but the militants took hostage his mother, wife and four children. The children’s tutor, Ashok Kumar, was also taken hostage along with a neighbour.

As securitymen ringed the house, there was heavy exchange of fire. Around 8 am, a militant tried to flee but was gunned down. Throughout the day, firing was on with breaks in between. The second militant was shot dead around 5.30 pm and the third around 11 pm.

... contd.