4 heavily armed ultras travelling in truck killed in Jammu encounter
Arjun Sharma
Jammu, December 28
Four heavily armed terrorists hiding in a truck covered with straw were eliminated by security forces in an early morning “chance encounter” near Jammu and a huge quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered.
The encounter broke out around 7.25 am when a team of the police and Army, already on high alert due to Republic Day, tried to stop a 12-wheel truck at the Sidhra intersection near Tawi Bridge on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. The Sidhra intersection has one road leading to Kashmir and the other to the old Jammu city areas.
As soon as the security forces stopped the truck and asked the driver to come out, he escaped on the pretext of attending the call of nature.
When security personnel began to search the truck, ultras hiding with AK rifles started firing and an encounter ensued. Both the police and Army sent reinforcements, including Para SF commandos along with their dog squad, to eliminate the terrorists.
The intense firing between the two sides lasted for over 45 minutes. Senior Army and police officials, including ADGP Mukesh Singh and Jammu SSP Chandan Kohli, reached the encounter site and coordinated the operation. Mukesh Singh said, “Trucks generally come in the area around noon, but this truck came early in the morning, triggering suspicion. A search operation has been launched to apprehend the driver.” Due to the heavy firing, the truck with the terrorists inside caught fire. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot after the firing from the terrorists stopped.
Seven AK-47 rifles, 3 pistols and one M4 rifle were recovered after the encounter ended. 14 grenades, bullets, AK magazines, chocolates, biscuits, nutrition drinks, medicines and Rs 50,000 in 500 denomination of Indian currency notes were also recovered. Sources in Military Intelligence said the group might have entered from the International Border (IB) in the Jammu region, taking advantage of the dense fog. They might have been picked up by the truck driver, who is now absconding.
“The truck owner is yet to be identified. The number plate of the truck has been found to be fake. The engine and chassis numbers have also been tampered with,” said the ADGP.
The police have begun the process to obtain clues about the identity of the killed terrorists as their bodies were charred. The police had recovered an IED and other ammunition in the Basantgarh area of Udhampur on December 26. A grenade blast had occurred on December 7 on a police checkpost in the same area where the encounter broke out today.
‘Chance encounter’ in morning
- Gunfight takes place around 7.30 am amid intense fog near Tawi Bridge on Jammu-Srinagar highway
- Police get suspicious on noticing a truck heading towards Kashmir, as most trucks come around noon
- Truck driver escapes on pretext of attending call of nature
- On searching truck, forces come under heavy fire from militants hiding in straw-laden truck
- n An encounter results during which truck catches fire, and the terrorists get killed
Ammunition recovered
- Seven AK-47 rifles, 3 pistols and one M4 rifle recovered as the encounter ended
- 14 grenades, bullets, AK magazines, chocolates, biscuits, nutrition drinks, medicines and Rs 50,000 in 500 denomination of Indian currency notes also recovered
