‘Larger Conspiracy To Disturb Peace & Sabotage PM Modi's Visit’: J&K DGP On Sunjwan Attack

Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh said the attack in Sunjwan area was “a larger conspiracy to disturb peace in Jammu and sabotage the Prime Minister’s visit to the region”.

Encounter in Jammu’s Sunjwan (File Photo)

New Delhi: Two days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the region, a fierce gun battle broke out between the security forces and the terrorists near an army installation in Jammu early Friday morning.

Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh said the attack in Sunjwan area was “a larger conspiracy to disturb peace in Jammu and sabotage the Prime Minister’s visit to the region”.

“Two Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists planning suicide attacks have been killed,” ANI quoted the top cop as saying.

This will be Prime Minister Modi's first visit to Jammu and Kashmir other than borders since the abrogation of the special status of the erstwhile state and its bifurcation in August 2019.

He had celebrated Diwali with Army jawans on October 27, 2019 in Rajouri and on November 3, 2021 in Nowshera sector in Jammu.

The DGP’s statement came hours after two JeM terrorists were killed in the encounter that ensued in the Sunjwan area on Friday morning.

One security force personnel was killed and three others suffered injuries in the gunfight with the terrorists.

Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jammu Zone, Mukesh Singh, informed that the encounter began when the Special Operations Group and the CRPF personnel launched a joint search operation in the area, PTI reported.

A total of nine security personnel, including two policemen, were injured and taken to Government Medical College (GMC) hospital, PTI reported officials as stating.

As a precautionary measure, the mobile internet services were suspended and the schools closed for the day in the vicinity of the encounter site.

The security forces also recovered arms and ammunition from the spot.

“Till now two terrorists have been killed, two AK-47 rifles, arms, ammunition, satellite phones and some documents were recovered. It seems like they were 'Fidayeen' attackers. Operation is underway,” ANI quoted the ADGP as saying.

The search operation was launched based on specific information about the presence of at least two heavily-armed terrorists, likely belonging to the JeM outfit, in vicinity adjacent to the sprawling Sunjwan military station to carry out a major strike in the city.

The terrorists, as per the officials, hurled a grenade and opened fire on the search parties which triggered a gunfight.