Two fresh terror attacks in J&K’s Doda, Kathua districts as manhunt in Reasi attack continues

Amid heightened security alerts in Jammu and Kashmir, two fresh terror attacks have taken place in the districts of Doda and Kathua as massive manhunt continue to nab terrorists involved in Reasi attack, with J&K Police releasing a sketch of a terrorist involved in the ambush.

At least 10 people were killed and 41 others injured in the terrorist attack at the 53-seater passenger bus, which was on its way from the Shiv Khori temple to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra on the evening of June 9.

Following the attack, security was tightened in the area and a joint operation was launched involving the police, the Army, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and central intelligence agencies.

Based on the description given by eyewitnesses, a sketch of the terrorist was made and a ₹20 lakh reward has been announced by the J&K police for any information about him.

In a separate development, two encounters began on the night of June 11 in J&K’s Doda and Kathua district which continued till the morning. 

Five security personnel and a special police officer (SPO) were injured during firing in Doda district after the terrorists targeted a joint checkpost of the 4 Rashtriya Rifles at an army base in Chattargala and the police on the Bhadarwah-Pathankot road. 

The encounter is still underway and traffic movement has been suspended on the Bhadarwah-Pathankot Highway.

Meanwhile, during an encounter in Kathua, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldier was killed while a terrorist was eliminated.

The police have informed that two terrorists were involved in the Kathua attack, of whom one was killed. Security forces are now using drones to hunt for the second one in the Hiranagar area of Kathua, said Anand Jain, Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, who is supervising the anti-terrorist operations in Kathua.

The ADGP denied any rumors of three civilians being killed, adding that only one civilian was injured in the firing, as the terrorists had asked for water from several houses, raising villagers' suspicions, and opened fire when some villagers raised an alarm.

"There are rumors that many people are injured and three are dead. But only one civilian was injured, other than this all information regarding hostages being held and death, are rumors," he said.

Calling the Kathua attack a "fresh infiltration", ADGP Jain pointed out at Pakistan saying “It is our hostile neighbor who always tries to damage the peaceful environment in our country. This (Hiranagar Terror attack) appears to be a fresh infiltration.”

Jammu has been on high alert since these attacks were reported from different areas. The terror attack on the pilgrims bus in Reasi on June 9 was claimed by Lashkar-e-Taiba’s The Resistance Front, a terrorist organization which was founded in 2019 after the abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. 

TRF has been involved in dozens of terror attacks and has been active in the south of the Pir Panjal region for two years. After the Reasi attack, the terrorists warned of more attacks. Earlier, three individuals associated with the LeT were taken into custody in the Pulwama district.