Five killed in suicide attack on Jammu jail

There were conflicting reports about how many persons were involved in the attack. Police insisted there was only one suicide bomber, who was later shot with his own rifle, but eyewitnesses said there were two militants and that one managed to escape.

There were also different versions on where the bomber came from. While officials said he probably got off a vehicle some distance away from the jail, the CRPF claimed he got off a Matador van outside the main gates around 10 am and opened fire.

Apart from the three policemen, a militant under trial and a passing milk-vendor were killed in the attack. Police said initial investigations pointed to the involvement of Lashkar-e-Toiba though there were no definite leads until late this evening.

Only last week, police and Army were put on high alert in the city following reports that three militants on a suicide mission had sneaked into Jammu for ‘‘some big action’’.

The militant shot dead outside the jail was later identified as Mohammad Bilal of PoK. An assault riffle, four magazines and four hand grenades were said to have been recovered from Bilal.

While important state prisoners are kept in the high-security Kot Bhalwal prison on the outskirts of Jammu, police were bringing to the district jail 12 militants who were to be produced in court in two separate cases under the Enemy Agents Ordinance. Of the 12, eight militants had been picked up from Poonch after they infiltrated in 2000. Four others had been arrested from the Hiranagar sector.