JeM terrorists in Jammu planned to inflict heavy damage, says J&K top cop

Their designs were quite nefarious, said Jammu Zone ADGP

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ ITDC NEWS Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jammu Zone, Mukesh Singh said that the two Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists who were recently gunned down in  Jammu and Kashmir were planning to inflict heavy damage. Just two days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to J&K, security forces had foiled a suicide attack, killing two suspected Pakistani terrorists in a pre-dawn encounter. A CISF officer also died. The ADGP said: "With the kind of vest [IED vest] they were wearing, it is clear that they had come here to inflict heavy damage. Their designs were quite nefarious, but, with the timely intervention of intelligence agencies and the security forces, this major disaster has been averted."

This led to a red alert being sounded across the region in view of the PM's scheduled visit to Palli Panchayat of Samba district on Sunday. Director General of Police Dilbag Singh, who visited the encounter site, said the two terrorists were part of a suicide squad of Pakistan-based JeM and their infiltration could be a "big conspiracy" to sabotage the PM's visit. According to initial investigation, the two terrorists entered the outskirts of Jammu city Thursday after infiltrating from the international border in RS Pura sector and were staying in a locality close to the Sunjwan Army camp.

The PM is scheduled to visit Samba's Pali village, 17 km from here, On National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24. He is also scheduled to address a gathering. This will be 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.