Terrorists tossing a grenade at a public place in the heart of Jammu last midnight, which left 3 policemen and a civilian injured, has triggered widespread anger here against the PDP-BJP government that has miserably failed to check such attacks even after the Centre announced unilateral ceasefire during the ongoing holy month of Ramzan.
The attack has exposed claims of the government and the top brass of the police that the security apparatus had been put in top gear in view of reports of a group of terrorists having infiltrated a few days ago through the International Border in Hiranagar area of Kathua district.
Although various Army installations in and around Jammu have been targeted by terrorists in the recent past but the attack at a public place (general bus stand) has come after 14 years when terrorists attacked the railway station and a few months before that targeted the famous Raghunath Temple and the Shiva Temple.
A large number of people came out of their homes at night and raised slogans against the state government for laxity in providing security for the upcoming Amarnath pilgrimage when a few lakh pilgrims would camp here for their registration and onward journey to Kashmir.
The terrorists had cleverly chosen the target to toss the grenade at the busy bus stand and sent the signal that they could strike at the place of their choice.
The attack has also come on the day the Army chief General Vipin Rawat reached Srinagar and reviewed the security arrangements for the Amarnath pilgrimage with top officers of the Northern Command of the army. A day earlier, Governor NN Vohra had also held a high-level meeting with the top brass of the Army, BSF, CRPF, J-K Police and intelligence agencies at Srinagar to take stock of the security arrangements for the pilgrimage right from Jammu to the valley.
It is suspected that the terrorists might be hiding somewhere in Bathindi or Sidhra that is believed to have become a safe haven for them. The recent terrorist attack at the Sunjwan Military Station here is believed to have been done by ultras who had taken shelter in the neighbouring Bathindi or the settlement of Rohingyas.
Meanwhile, the police on Friday recovered the throat-slit body of a youth Mohammad Yakub in the Hajin area of north Kashmir. Yakub was abducted last night by terrorists of Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT) who barged into his house.
In a bid to enable terrorists infiltrate through the LoC, Pakistan troops heavily fired at the Army pickets in the Uri sector. The Army had on Thursday thwarted an infiltration attempt by a big group of terrorists.
Terrorists also tossed a grenade at a CRPF camp at Bari Pura in the Nawakadal locality of Srinagar on Thursday.