Udhampur terrorist attack: Day after, terrorists target police post, 2 SPOs injured

Pointing out that the attack came around 9.15 pm at Chanj police post, sources identified one of the injured SPO as Gul Mohammad. Though the details were awaited as Chanj is nearly 15 kms walking distance from the nearest motorable road at Basantgarh tehsil headquarters, a police officer told The Indian Express said that there were only four SPOs at the post at the time of attack as the area had been free of militancy since long.

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The last terror attack in Basantgarh area had taken place in May 2006 when terrorists had killed 13 Hindus there. The then area commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba responsible for the massacre was killed by police and security forces later.

Senior police officers along with reinforcements from Basantgarh, Ramnagar and Udhampur have rushed to the spot. The area also has village defence committees, but it was not immediately known whether their members have joined the SPOs in their fight against terrorists.

The area is adjoining Bhaderwah through Seoj Dhar and it once used to be a hub of terrorists. Two Hizbul commanders, Farooq Ansari and Shakeel Ansari, who also happened to be brothers, had created terror during peak militancy in the area.

The locals say that there were already reports about movement of a large number of terrorists in Dudu and  Seoj Dhar areas in Basantgarh tehsil for the last few days. They had also been visiting the houses of locals for food and shelter.

The latest attack, which has come close on the heels of Wednesday morning attack by terrorists on a BSF convoy at Narsu nullah on the national highway, assumes significance as it shows a pattern of terrorists spreading their terror arc ahead of the Independence Day celebrations. Only ten days ago, they had attacked Dinanagar police station in Gurdaspur district of Punjab.