Agencies
Jammu, January 31:
Three militants were killed in a gun battle that broke out after a group of militants, travelling in a truck, opened fire at a police team at a toll plaza on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway here on Friday, officials said.
Police said the militant group is suspected to have infiltrated from along the International Border (IB) in Kathua district to carry out an attack.
The group of three-four militants was on their way to Srinagar when the police team intercepted it at the Bann toll plaza, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh told PTI.
Bann toll plaza in Nagrota is about 28 kilometres from the Jammu city.
One of the militants was killed in the ensuing gunfight while the rest managed to escape to the adjacent forest area, Singh said, adding that a policeman was injured and had been hospitalised.
They are suspected to be a newly infiltrated group and were on their way to Srinagar, the DGP said. “It is suspected that they infiltrated from Hiranagar border (of Kathua district),” he added.
The Jammu-Srinagar highway was closed and traffic halted and entire forest belt was cordoned off and militants were intercepted, resulting in a fierce gun battle, the officials said.
The militants also fired grenades, they said.
Two more militants were killed in the gun battle, taking the toll to three, the DGP said, adding that one more is probably in trap.
Four weapons and a large quantity of ammunition and explosives had been recovered, the DGP said. He said the militants might be foreigners.
IGP Jammu Zone, Mukesh Singh, told reporters that the truck on its way to Kashmir was intercepted at the toll post at 5 am by a joint team of police and CRPF.
There was firing from the truck resulting in injuries to one policeman, he said.
Police and CRPF jawans retaliated, killing a militant while the rest managed to escape towards the forest area, the IGP said.
The truck driver, Maqbool, who is an overground worker, had been arrested and is being questioned, the IGP said.
The truck was carrying polyvinyl and a cavity was created inside it to hide the militants, officials said.
The militants were armed with bullet-proof jackets, they said.
The officials suspect the militants might have planned to carry out attack at vital installations as well as security camps along the nearly 300-km highway.
Senior police officials were at the spot to oversee the combing operations.
All schools and colleges in Udhampur district have been closed as a precautionary measure.
