Kathua terror attack LIVE: 2 dead, 9 injured; Centre ‘monitoring situation’
At least two people were killed and nine others were seriously injured when a group of Pakistan-supported militants, armed with automatic weapons and grenades, attacked a police station in Kathua district of Jammu region on Friday morning.
According to reports, heavy gunfight is still on in the area to neutralise the militants, who are holed up inside the police station.
“Militants wearing military uniforms used automatic weapons and hurled grenades at Rajbagh police station in Kathua district this morning,” a senior police officer told reporters.
According to latest update, at least 9 people – 7 from CRPF, one policeman and one civilian – have been injured in the attack. The death of one policeman has also been confirmed. However, some media channels also reported the death of three policemen in the attack.
Additional reinforcements have been rushed to the spot.
Latest reports said the militants have entered the police station, 65 kms from here on the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway.
Traffic on the strategic Jammu-Pathankote National Highway has been stopped due to the terror attack. A high alert has been sounded in schools and colleges in the region.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is also closely monitoring the situation.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh has reportedly instructed the Home Secretary to actively monitor Kathua situation. Singh is also expected to make a statement in Lok Sabha on the Kathua terror attack later today.
The MHA is in touch with agencies of J&K, a tweet from the PMO said.
Acting on the instructions from the Home Ministry, the Home Secretary also spoke to Jammu and Kashmir DGP about the attack at Rajbagh police station in Kathua and sought details about the incident.
Former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah also took to Twitter to confirm the terror attack in the Kathua locality. Omar alleged repetition of the past pattern, saying the terrorists would have walked from across the border last night and launched the attack.
Bhim Singh of the NPP said the Kathua attack is the consequence of BJP-PDP Govt in Jammu and Kashmir. This government is responsible for utter failure of security apparatus here, he added.
Army and J&K police should be given free hand to eliminate terrorism completely, Pakistan has breached trust again, said Ravinder Raina of the BJP.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad condemned the attack and said it’s sad that the peace process hasn’t even concluded and the terror attack has happened. This is a planned attack to create confusion, our police forces wont let them go, SR Sinho, defence expert said while reacting to the Kathua terror attack.
At least twelve people were killed on September 26, 2013 when guerrillas had attacked Hiranagar police station in Kathua district in a similar manner and later entered an Army camp on the Jammu-Pathankote National Highway.
