Army chief visits Nagrota, briefed about terror attack; combing ops near end

Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag reviewed the security aspect post-terror attack and paid tributes to those killed in the strike

Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag on Wednesday visited the Nagrota-based 16 Corps headquarters and was briefed about Tuesday's terror attack in which seven officers and jawans were killed, even as combing operation to flush out any remaining militant continued.

Three militants were killed by security forces personnel and combing operation to sanitise the area was nearing an end.

Gen Suhag arrived in Nagrota in the afternoon and was briefed by the top commanders on the terror attack at an army artillery unit.

He was also briefed about the combing operations.

He reviewed the security aspect post-terror attack and paid tributes to those killed in the strike.

"Combing operation resumed this morning at the camp. The area has to be cleared... Operation is on to see whether there is presence of any other militant in the area. We cannot take chances," a senior army officer said.

'Blinds' (unexploded shells) were destroyed at the site of the terror attack by a bomb disposal team during the combing operation.

Jammu was rocked by two terror attacks yesterday in which seven army personnel, including two Major-rank officers, were killed and eight other securitymen, including a BSF DIG, were injured, before six heavily-armed terrorists were eliminated in the separate fierce encounters.

In one incident, a group of heavily-armed terrorists in police uniform stormed an army unit in Nagrota, about three km from the Corps headquarters on the outskirts of Jammu city.

Seven army personnel, including two officers, were killed in this attack before three terrorists were killed in an armed stand-off which also involved a hostage-like situation with 12 soldiers, two ladies and two children being held captive. All were rescued.

Three terrorists were gunned down by BSF in Ramgarh area of Samba near the International Border after an encounter that lasted several hours and was followed by intense cross-border firing by Pakistani troops. Four security personnel, including BSF DIG, were injured in this incident.