Residents provide snacks, meals to security forces

SUNJWAN (JAMMU) : As the operation to flush out Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants who stormed an army camp here entered the second day, locals have been frequenting the area to serve meals and snacks to police and paramilitary personnel camped there.

The residents of Sainik Colony pooled their resources to serve meals, tea, snacks and water to hundreds of people — mostly police/paramilitary personnel and journalists — camping outside the main gate of the sprawling military station.

“It’s a small effort on our part... We want to contribute to the nation and decided to provide tea and snacks to the security forces deployed outside and to the mediapersons,” Sanjeev Manmotra, who is leading the initiative, said.

Two army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer (JCO), were killed and nine others injured when the JeM terrorists stormed the camp Saturday.

Two attackers in combat gear have been killed by the army and a huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from them. An operation to flush out surviving terrorists is still underway.

“They are sacrificing their lives to ensure our safety and it is our responsibility to do whatever is possible to help them,” Manmotra, state president of Bharat Tibet Sahyog Manch, said.

However, another volunteer, Prakash Singh Jamwal, said the forum had nothing to do with the initiative. “We have come together and are spending from our own pockets,” he said.

BJP and Bajrang Dal activists visited the area and staged “antiPakistan” demonstrations.