An Army soldier was killed as terrorists attacked the vital Sunjwan military station here this morning. The soldier on sentry duty at a gate of the military station was critically injured after reportedly being hit by a sniper shot fired by terrorists from a distance and later succumbed in the hospital.

Sunjwan is the largest military station in Jammu and has been targeted by terrorists many times earlier with the biggest attack in 2018 that stretched for nearly three days.

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In a statement, a defence spokesman said; “Today at about 10:50 AM a few rounds were fired at Sunjwan Military Station, one soldier was critically injured. Operation has been launched. Further details being ascertained”.

Reports said that the terrorist outfit Kashmir Tigers/JEM has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The injured soldier was immediately evacuated to hospital. However, he succumbed to the injuries, said officials.

The fire was retaliated by the troops while more reinforcements of Army, paramilitary forces and J&K Police were rushed to the area.

A massive search operation was launched in the area with drones. Army soldiers searched houses and rooftops in the neighbourhood of the military station.

Officials said it was a standoff attack, and it appears that a sniper may have been used.

More than 200 students of the Kendriya Vidyalaya within the military station were held up for several hours as a security measure. Gates of the school were immediately locked from inside and troops were deployed there.

Jammu is now being focused by the Pakistan backed terrorists and 43 soldiers have lost their lives in several attacks in the Kathua, Reasi, Doda, Poonch and Rajouri districts in the past three years.

On 10 February 2018, an Army officer and a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) were killed and six others, including a Colonel and three women and children, injured as heavily armed terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit stormed into the family accommodation complex of the fortified Sunjwan Brigade in the heart of Jammu in the wee hours and fired indiscriminately. Intermittent firing and grenade hurling by terrorists continued for several hours. Para Commandos were airlifted from Udhampur and Sarsawa (UP) to neutralise the terrorists who were holed up in the complex.

Ms Nirmala Sitharaman, who was holding the portfolio of Defence at that time, came to Sunjwan on 12 February and warned that “Pakistan will repay for the misadventure” of attacking the Army camp at Sunjwan in Jammu where unarmed soldiers and their family members were targeted by Pakistan backed terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

Sitharaman, while talking to newspersons, said there were reports of some local support to the terrorists. The topography and presence of civilian population around the camp raises suspicion of local support to terrorists, she said. The Army camp was about 30 kms from the border with Pakistan, she added.