Terror holds Jammu family hostage in 17-hr gunbattle

The gunbattle between security forces and the militants, which began around 6 am in Chinnore — barely 20 km from the international border — ended around 11 pm tonight when the last of the three militants, according to Jammu SSP Manohar Singh, was shot dead.

According to a jawan who went into the house around midnight, the children were said to be safe while one “male” was dead and another man had bullet injuries in the leg. Both women were safe — the grandmother escaped in the morning and the mother came out of the house after the encounter.

Expressing serious concern over the infiltration and the militant attack, the Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti cancelled its rally at the Parade Ground. The Samiti said that they didn’t want to put lives of people in danger. “Considering national interest as top priority and responding to an appeal from security agencies, the Samiti decided to cancel the Sangarsh rally,” said its convenor Leela Karan Sharma.

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.

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