A child was killed and another critically injured in an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED) blast on Monday near the scene of the targeted attack that left four men dead at Dhangri in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K)’s Rajouri on Sunday.
Additional director general of police Mukesh Singh said another suspected IED was being cleared. “Five persons are injured. Media personnel are requested to be cautious,” said Singh as he rushed to the scene.
Another police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it appears the terrorists, who fired at three houses in Dangri before fleeing in their car on Sunday, planted the IEDs. Reports said the terrorists checked the identity cards of the four before firing at them.
Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha condemned the terror attack and assured that those behind it will not go unpunished. “My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families.”
He announced ₹10 lakh compensation and jobs each for the kin of those killed. “Seriously injured would be given ₹1 lakh. Officials have been directed to ensure the best treatment to the injured,” he said in a statement.
Angry residents and relatives earlier took to the streets with the bodies of the four men demanding the safety of the minorities.
The protesters blamed security forces and intelligence agencies for failing in checking terrorism in the region and demanded the transfer of deputy magistrate Vikas Kundal and senior police superintendent Mohammad Aslam.
Deepak Kumar, 23, Satish Kumar, 45, Pritam Lal, 56, and Shiv Pal, 32, were killed and six others injured when unidentified armed men in a suspected terror attack indiscriminately fired on them.
Sanatan Dharam Sabha and other Hindu organisations such as Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal have called for a bandh to protest against the killings. The Bharatiya Janata Party has supported the call.
Rajesh Kumar, a local resident, earlier said they will not cremate the bodies unless Sinha visits Dhangri, announces adequate compensation, and jobs for the kin of four besides assuring them of a safe and secure environment without fear.
Three houses separated by a distance of around 50 metres were fired upon in Dhangri. A search operation was immediately launched in the area.
The attack came days after at least four armed terrorists were killed inside a truck during an exchange of fire with security forces at Sidhra near Jammu on December 28 amid a high alert in the region ahead of Republic Day.
On December 16, two civilians were shot dead and a third was injured in firing near the gate of an army camp in Rajouri.
A police officer said the residents alleged a sentry fired and called it a mistaken identity but the army denied the allegation. The army blamed “unidentified terrorists” for the deaths of Surinder Kumar, 40, and Kamal Kishore, 39.
