The incident took place in Saida Sukhal village in Hiranagar, close to the international border. Armed forces said they pursued the attackers who fled to a nearby forest area, where exchange of fire continued late into the night.
“Terrorist firing in village Saida Sukhal, near Koota Mode, in Hira Nagar area of Kathua. One terrorist has been killed and an operation is on,” Additional Director General of Police, Jammu, Anand Jain, said.
Union minister Jitendra Singh said that he was in touch with the local police, administration in Kathua and owner of the house where the attack happened. Locals had reported movement of suspicious persons in the area earlier in the day and the police were on high alert.
The attack comes two days after nine people were killed and 33 injured in an attack on a bus carrying pilgrims from Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to Katra, in Reasi district of Jammu. Search operation in Reasi continued on Tuesday to locate the attackers. Police detained around two dozen for questioning. It said at least two foreign militants fired at the 53-seater bus and two provided them cover, along with an overground worker who acted as their guide.
Around a dozen teams from police, Army and CRPF were working on the case along with a team of National Investigation Agency. “Drones, sniffer dogs and helicopters were pressed into service to locate the attackers, who trekked from the Rajouri-Poonch forest range,” said an official.
The administration has beefed up at Shiv Khori and Vaishno Devi temples. “Even though prayers and pilgrimage at Shiv Khori cave temple continue, the whole area is on high alert along with the areas in the neighbouring Poonch and Rajouri districts,” a police official said.
The J&K Police has maintained foreign militants were a major challenge for the security grid and 70-80 of them were active across the Union Territory, mainly in Rajouri-Poonch, Udhampur-Reasi and some parts of southern Kashmir. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a security review meeting with the officials of J&K police and civil administration and assured people that those behind the attack on pilgrims in Reasi and those aiding and abetting them would be punished. The teams of NIA, State Investigation Agency (SIA) and forensic department joined the probe on Monday.
