J-K: CRPF jawans arrive in Rajouri’s Upper Dangri village for deployment after killing of 6 civilians

[Representational image: IANS]


Central Reserve Police Force jawans have arrived in Upper Dangri village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri for deployment following the killing of 6 civilians in a terror attack.

After the killing incident on January 1, the locals of the Dangri village had demanded the deployment of forces to boost security in the area.

The Home Ministry had issued an order to deploy an additional 18 companies to Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of recent killings of civilians in two fresh terror attacks in the Rajouri district.

Sarpanch of the Upper Dangri village, Dheeraj Sharma thanked Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the Centre for the quick action and said that the deployment of the forces will boost the morale of the locals.

“We demanded security and LG said our security-related demands would be met within 7 days. We thank LG and Centre for their quick action. There was an atmosphere of fear in our village. The morale of the villagers would boost with the deployment of the companies,” he told agency.”

“The police have become more active after this incident. The first company of CRPF has come,” he added.

The 18 CRPF companies – approximately 1,800 personnel – would be rushed to the Jammu region for deployment mainly in Poonch and Rajouri districts, sources had said earlier.

The move followed a recent order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs amidst intelligence input about the terror attack in the Jammu region, said the source.

Six persons, including two children, were killed and many more injured in two separate terror attacks in Upper Dangri village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Sunday evening and Monday morning.

In the latest terror attack, two children were killed and several others injured after a suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast took place in Rajouri’s Upper Dangri village on Monday morning.

ADGP Mukesh Singh cautioned people as another suspected IED was spotted in the area near Upper Dangri village, which is about eight kilometres from Rajouri town.

Officials said that the explosion took place near the house where four civilians were killed and many more injured by terrorists in a shooting incident on Sunday evening.

Nearly a dozen people were reportedly injured in the two terror attacks by the terrorists since Sunday evening. The injured were being treated in Jammu hospital.

In the first attack, two armed terrorists barged into three homes separated by a distance of around 50 metres from each other on Sunday evening and opened indiscriminate fire. The attack led to the killing of four civilians and injuries to six others.

These separate attacks are the third such incidents of civilian killings in the Rajouri district in the past two weeks after two people were killed outside an Army camp on December 16.

The office of LG Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh and a government job to the kin of those killed in the firing incident.

“An ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh and a government job would be given to the next of kin of each of those civilians martyred in the dastardly attack. Seriously injured would be given Rs.1 lakh. Officials have been directed to ensure the best treatment to injured,” the Office of LG J-K said in a statement.

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also visited the village where security has been enhanced.