Suicide attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, 2009

August 5, 2009

A plot by the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) to target forward Army posts and other sensitive installations in border Districts has been averted by the troops who foiled an infiltration attempt by three fidayeen (suicide squad) militants from Sabjian in the Mandi sector of Poonch District in the night in which one infiltrator was killed while two others were forced to retrieve. The infiltrators, all top militants and members of LeT's suicide squad, had been launched from Cobra 1 post of army in PoK. The intruders took positions at an isolated forest area and opened indiscriminate firing on the troops, who retaliated. The militants also lobbed grenades on the Army personnel. In approximately an hour long encounter close to the LoC, the Army personnel killed one of the infiltrators while two others retrieved to PoK taking cover of darkness. There were no casualties on Army side in the exchange of firing. According to sources, maps of Army posts in forward locations and other sensitive installations of Poonch have been recovered from the possession of the slain militant. More documents seized from the spot confirmed that all three militants were Pakistanis and part of a suicide squad of the LeT outfit. In addition to sensitive maps, other recoveries made from the encounter site include one AK-47 rifle, five magazines, four Chinese grenades, one Pathan suit, 130 AK bullets, a large quantity of dry fruit, mobile phones, batteries, chargers, two wireless sets and one compass.

SFs shot dead a Pakistani militant of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) outfit in the Pulwama District, hours before he was to carry out a suicide attack on a sensitive installation in the summer capital Srinagar. The Pakistani militant, identified as Abu Mu'awiya, reportedly had plans to carry out a fidayeen (suicide squad) attack in Srinagar city and made all the preparations for executing his plans, officials said. One AK rifle, two AK magazines, 16 rounds of AK ammunition, 30 Kg explosive material, one 12V battery, two hand grenades, one Nokia mobile and one pouch were recovered from the slain militant.