#Forces launch search for suspected terrorists in #J&K, highway traffic stopped Arun Sharma Two days after three heavily armed terrorists from Pakistan killed 10, including a lieutenant colonel among four army men and four cops, the Jammu and Kashmir Police and security forces jointly launched massive searches for some suspected terrorists at village Charjath and adjoining areas nearly one km from Dayalachak in Kathua district on Saturday morning. However, according to eyewitnesses, the Army has left the area after not finding any terrorists, but BSF personnel are still deployed in the area. The vehicular traffic along the national highway between Kathua and Samba was stopped as police and security forces sealed the road to prevent terrorists, if any, from making good their escape. Senior civil and police officers including IG Jammu Rajesh Kumar, DIG Jammu-Kathua range Shakeel Beigh, besides Kathua Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police had also reached the spot. The searches followed reports about the sighting of some terrorists in army uniform by some villagers on Saturday morning. “The searches are in progress, but we have not so far come across any terrorist,’’ Kathua SP Mohan Lal Kaith had said. Giving details, sources said that a woman Pritam Devi, who had been cooking the mid-day meal for students at government primary school, Charjath, was the first to see them. Around 9.15 am, Pritam along with Kajal, a 5th class student, went to the nearby tube well to fetch water for cooking the mid day meals. As they reached near the tube well, they noticed two gunmen in army uniform drinking water. They later on seeing them, fled into the nearby forest area and disappeared. Taking them as terrorists, duo raising alarm fled back to the school. Within seconds school got closed with all the teachers and students running towards the village spreading panic. The village has an over 100 families and a number of them started ringing police officials and also their relatives elsewhere. As three terrorists had in a twin attack had already killed ten people including army and police men in Hiranagar and Samba towns, contingents of police and security forces rushed towards the area from all directions– Kathua, Samba and even the international border. The Jammu-Kathua national highway was sealed and all vehicular movement stopped to prevent terrorists from escaping. The senior police and civil officers including IG Jammu Rajesh Kumar, DIG Shakeel Beigh, besides Kathua Deputy Commissioner and SP also reached the spot. The Border security Force deployed on the international border too have joined the searches which are in progress. However, no contact has been established with them so far, said Kathua SP Mohan Lal Kaith.
Posted on: Sat, 28 Sep 2013 07:15:47 +0000