Grenade attack by militants in heart of Rajouri town
Various bodies give call for bandh today
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 12: Just four days after the killing of BJP Sarpanch and his wife in Anantnag, the militant(s) tonight struck in the heart of Rajouri town throwing powerful grenade at the residence of BJP Mandal president killing his two-year-old nephew and injuring six family members including the BJP leader, two of them seriously.
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The grenade attack comes just three days ahead of the Independence Day celebrations and exactly a week after second anniversary of abrogation of special status in the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources told the Excelsior tonight that the blast was triggered by a grenade lobbed by the militants in which seven persons were injured and one of them, an infant, later succumbed to the wounds at the hospital.
The deceased has been identified as two-year-old Veer Singh son of Balbir Singh and nephew of BJP Mandal president Jasbir Singh, an ex-serviceman whose house was targeted by the militant(s) at Khandli bridge Chowk in the heart of Rajouri town at 9.25 pm.
Family members of the BJP leader and police sources said that the militant(s) lobbed grenade at the house of Jasbir Singh, 36, when his and his brother Balbir Singh’s families were sitting in gallery of the house. It exploded with a bang causing splinter injuries to seven members of the two families.
Neighbours rushed to the house after hearing sound of the explosion. Police personnel also reached the spot and cordoned off the area. Injured were rushed to the Government Medical College (GMC) Rajouri where two-year-old Veer Singh succumbed to the injuries.
Injured include Jasbir Singh, 36 and Balbir Singh, 42, both brothers, their parents Romesh Chander, 65 and mother Sia Devi, 60, Karam Singh, 12, son of Balbir Singh and Arjun Singh, 12, son of Kulbir Singh.
Condition of two of the injured was stated to be serious and they have been referred to the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu.
DIG Rajouri-Poonch range vivek Gupta was camping at the spot.
Police and para-military personnel were conducting searches till late tonight in and around the town but no arrests were made immediately. The militant(s) appeared to have escaped after throwing the grenade.
Soon after the terror attack, protests broke out in the GMC Rajouri with family members and locals shouting slogans against civil administration for lack of facilities in the hospital and police for the blast and not providing security cover to the BJP leader. Slogan shouting people alleged that there was only one doctor available in the hospital.
Sanatan Dharam Sabha and some other Hindu organizations tonight gave call for bandh in Rajouri tomorrow to protest against militant attack on the BJP leader.
Targeted terror attack was reported from Rajouri after a long time as the district was virtually militancy-free except presence of few Over Ground Workers (OGWs).
A day before, Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh had visited Rajouri for review of security situation and stated that three to four groups of militants had managed to sneak into Rajouri-Poonch, three of which were neutralized at Sunderbani, Nowshera and Thannamandi.
The grenade attack comes at a time when Army, CRPF and Police were maintaining cordon at Upper Panghai forest in Thannamandi for past more than a week after killing two militants and searching their third associate. The three militants, one of whom hailed from South Kashmir’s Shopian district, were on way to South Kashmir from Pir Panjal mountains after infiltration from Pakistan when they were intercepted by the security forces.
Three militants were killed in Sunderbani last month while two Army jawans were martyred and another militant was eliminated in Nowshera.
Meanwhile, BJP general secretary, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir, Tarun Chugh has condemned the attack on BJP leader house.
“We condemn the cowardly attack by Pak-based terrorists on BJP leader Jasbir Singh and his family,” Chugh tweeted tonight.
BJP UT president Ravinder Raina, who is in Kashmir, has decided to rush to Rajouri tomorrow following the attack.
Raina said militants from across the border were orchestrating attacks on the BJP leaders.
“We strongly condemn the attack and appeal to Jammu and Kashmir Police to immediately arrest the militants responsible for it,” Raina said.
Congress has also condemned the grenade attack on the house of BJP leader.
PCC spokesperson Ravinder Sharma expressed concern over the incident and called for tracing and punishing the culprits.
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