Had lost hope: People caught in gunfight between terrorists and J-K security forces

Jalalabad (Jammu), April 22

“We thought we would never see each other again,” says Zulfikar Ali, along with his family, as he recounts the hours that followed after a fierce gunfight broke out between terrorists and security forces here early Friday.

There were grenade explosions, heavy firing and almost no chance of getting out alive, said the 34-year-old, who hid in a corner of his house along with his family as bullets and splinters hit walls and vehicles outside. The terrorists had entered the Jalalabad locality after attacking CISF men near the Chaddha camp area.

An Army team entered our house and, under heavy protection, took us to a safe place, says Ali. Masarat Hussain, another resident, said, “We had woken up for sehar (morning meals during Roza in the month of Ramadan) when firing and blasts rattled us.” He dialed the local SHO following which security personnel responded in time.

Meanwhile, the abandoned bathroom where the final assault took place was in the backyard of a house belonging to Anwar Hussain who said the security forces evacuated them to safety before neutralising the militants. “We did not know that the terrorists had entered our backyard as it usually remains locked,” he added. —