Two Army Officers Martyred In A Terrorist Attack On The Sunjuwan Army camp: Jammu
On 9th Feb 2018, Two Army officers were martyred in a terrorist attack on the Sunjuwan Army camp in Jammu in the early hours. Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) M Ashraf Mir and Madan Lal lost their lives in the attack launched by a group of four-five heavily-armed Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists. Another officer and a civilian are among the six injured and have been moved to the military hospital. A colonel-rank officer is among the injured, the state’s parliamentary affairs Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri said. The terrorists breached the rear side of the camp of the 36 Army Brigade, barged into the JCO family quarters in the garrison and opened fire. “Around 4.55am, suspicious movement was noticed by the santri. The santri bunker was fired upon and they retaliated. The number of terrorists isn’t known, they’ve been cornered in one of the family quarters. The operation is on,” Jammu IGP SD Singh Jamwal said.
It is believed that the terrorists have been isolated in one of the buildings.
The area was cordoned off after the arrival of the Army’s Special Forces and the Special Operations Group. Schools within 500 meters of the camp have been asked to remain closed by the district administration. Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to the J&K DGP and directed MHA officials to look into the matter. Following the attack, a high alert was sounded in Jammu and security was beefed up in and around the city. Intelligence inputs had earlier warned of an attack on the army or security establishment by JeM in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru who was hanged on February 9, 2013
The camp, which is spread over many acres of land, is located adjacent to several shopping arcades and motor showrooms, and private schools on the by-pass in the heart of Jammu city. This is the second time it has been targeted in 10 years. In 2006, terrorists carried out a suicide attack at the camp in which 12 soldiers were martyred.
Report By: Nikita Goel, Convener, INBA