New Delhi:
India today summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission to raise concerns over Thursday’s encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Nagrota, in which four suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were killed. The Foreign Ministry registered a strong protest, demanding Pakistan to stop supporting terrorists and terror groups operating from their territory while dismantling the terrorism infrastructure, sources said.
New Delhi reiterated its long standing demand that Islamabad fulfil its international obligations and bilateral commitments to not allow any territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India in any manner, sources said.
The four suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists, who were hiding in a truck, were killed in a three-hour encounter with security forces on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway near Nagrota early Thursday morning. Two policemen were injured during the gunfight and the driver managed to escape. The police said it is likely that the terrorists were “planning a big attack” and that they were headed towards the Kashmir valley where local elections are due later this month.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and others. “Our security forces have once again displayed utmost bravery and professionalism. Thanks to their alertness, they have defeated a nefarious plot to target grassroots level democratic exercises in Jammu and Kashmir,” PM Modi tweeted.
Sources said the investigation so far has indicated that the terrorists were plotting a strike on the anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. A large number of weapons, including 11 AK-47 rifles, three pistols and 29 grenades, were recovered from them.
This is the second time in a week that a Pakistani official has been summoned. Last Saturday, India had summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission to register a strong protest over the heavy shelling by Pakistani forces on multiple sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir that left at least nine people dead.