Hindustan Times (Amritsar)

How Jaish terrorists sneaked into India

TERROR ATTACK FOILED J&K DGP says it is suspected they infiltrate­d from Dayalachak area of Hiranagar sector on Thursday

- Ravi Krishnan Khajuria ravi.khajuria@htlive.com

JAMMU: The three terrorists who were gunned down at a toll plaza in Nagrota near Jammu on Friday are suspected to have infiltrate­d from across the Internatio­nal Border in Dayalachak area of Hiranagar sector in Kathua district, police said.

The terrorists adopted a similar modus-operandi to travel in a truck from Jammu to Srinagar to carry out a possible terror attack.

Jammu and Kashmir director general of police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh said, “It is suspected that they infiltrate­d from Dayalachak area of Hiranagar sector on Thursday evening, were picked up by the Kashmir bound truck and reached the Ban toll plaza on Friday morning. They were hiding in a cavity in the truck and were headed towards Srinagar.”

The DGP said the modus operandi used by the terrorists was similar to earlier attempts, where they have sneaked into India from across the border in trucks. “Yes, the modus operandi has been repeated by them. But we were aware that terrorists have been using big trucks with these kind of heavy loads (carrying bags with a cavity in it to hide them). So, such trucks are always under our surveillan­ce. I must say the boys did a commendabl­e job. The terrorists were carrying a heavy consignmen­t of arms and ammunition and could have carried out a big attack,” he said.

BSF Jammu frontier inspector general NS Jamwal said, “No infiltrati­on has been detected so far from Dayalachak area of Hiranagar sector.”

Dayalachak is around 62km from Jammu and Ban toll plaza is around 25km from Jammu city. Therefore, the terrorists travelled 86km on Pathankot-Jammu-Srinagar highway before being intercepte­d at the toll plaza.

More than 13 rivers and seasonal rivulets like Basanter River, Devak River and Tarnah River, Shaap Nullah in SambaKathu­a sector, Aik Nullah, Nikki and Baddi Tawi in RS Pura sector of Jammu district and Chenab River in Pargwal sector and Munawar Tawi in Akhnoor subdivisio­n of Jammu district flow into Pakistan. These riverine gaps are among the traditiona­l routes used by terrorists to infiltrate into India.

In Jhajjar Kotli attack on September 12, 2018, three JeM terrorists had adopted a similar modus operandi before they were killed in a day-long encounter.

On February 14 last year, a CRPF convoy was attacked by a vehicle-borne suicide bomber at Lethpora in Pulwama on JammuSrina­gar national highway killing 40 personnel.

A L-SHAPED CAVITY WAS FORMED INSIDE THE TRUCK TO HIDE THE TERRORISTS AND FERRY THEM TO KASHMIR

 ?? NITIN KANOTRA/HT ?? A security man inspecting the truck in which the terrorists were travelling, at the Ban toll plaza in Nagrota near Jammu on Friday.
NITIN KANOTRA/HT A security man inspecting the truck in which the terrorists were travelling, at the Ban toll plaza in Nagrota near Jammu on Friday.

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