Gurdaspur terror attack: One terrorist killed, Punjab SP martyred

Security forces on Monday killed a terrorist and injured another during a gun battle, which is going on for the past nine hours in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district. Four heavily armed militants wearing army uniform went on a rampage attacking a bus, a health centre and a police station in the morning.

Punjab Police SP (detective) Baljeet Singh was martyred while fighting the terrorists, who struck the bus in Dinanagar at around 5 a.m., injuring four passengers.

According to police, the militants also shot dead a roadside vendor near Dinanagar bypass before entering the Dinanagar police station where they severely injured five policemen.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the country will give a befitting reply. "We will not be the first to strike, but if we are hit, we will give a befitting reply. We want peace with Pakistan, but not at the cost of national honour," he said.

The Home Minister also said that he would make a statement over the attack in Parliament tomorrow after the Opposition created a ruckus in Parliament.

In a related development, five live bombs were found on Amritsar-Pathankot railway track and the train services on the route have been suspended.

The Home Ministry said that an alert has been sounded along the border with Pakistan. Army was called in from Pathankot and the whole area has been cordoned off.

Quick Reaction Teams, bomb squads and a heavy police contingent including senior officers have been deployed in the area which lies close to the Indo-Pakistan border.

According to official sources, the forces' strategy was to minimise casualties and to capture some of the terrorists alive.

Though soldiers carrying shoulder-fired rocket launchers and other artillery were present at the spot, security agencies had opted not to use these till absolutely necessary.


(Image: Indiatimes)