NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar
Militants late on Tuesday evening attacked the heavily-guarded Jammu railway station killing 10 persons, including an army soldier, and wounding 30 others, eight of them seriously.
In the subsequent exchange of fire between the militants and the security forces, one militant, identified as Nisar Ahmad, was killed.
Minister of State for Home Mushtaq Ahmad Lone told this correspondent that around 8.30 pm three militants, dressed in army fatigues, stepped out of the Malwa Express as it stopped at the station and opened indiscriminate fire.
Five persons died on the spot, while five more succumbed to their injuries in a nearby hospital.
"The security personnel engaged the militants in a gun battle and killed one of them," the minister said. The other two managed to escape in an auto-rickshaw.
Sources said the militants had wanted to target an army unit that was waiting to board a train.
An eyewitness said platform no 1, where the shootout took place, was awash with blood.
Senior police and army officers have rushed to the station. Curfew has been imposed in Jammu and a general alert has been sounded.
At the SMGS hospital, where a majority of the injured have been admitted, relatives and locals held a demonstration shouting anti-government slogans.
The junior doctors at the hospital were on an indefinite strike in protest against the death of a medico. However, hospital sources said the doctors rushed to the hospital as the injured were shifted there late this evening.
This is the second attack on Jammu railway station this year. A few months back, militants had bombed the station resulting in injuries to several civilians.
No militant group has yet taken responsibility for Tuesday's attack.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday night blamed Pakistan for the sudden spurt in militancy in the state.
"Militants having their base in Pakistan are trying to create havoc in Jammu and Kashmir by killing innocent people, the chief minister said while reacting to the attack at the railway station.
Abdullah dared the militants to try such attacks against the security forces.
"The cowards will never do such things, because Pakistan has only taught them to kill innocent civilians," he said.
EARLIER REPORT: Militants open fire in Jammu station, kill 8 Rail traffic restored; enquiry booths set up
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
