6 KILLED IN GURDASPUR TERROR ATTACK, CHIEF MINISTER BADAL SLAMS CENTRE

PUNJAB POLICE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE (D) BALJIT SINGH KILLED IN DINANAGAR TERRORIST ATTACK

GURDASPUR : Six people have died after a group of terrorists opened fire on a public bus, then stormed a police station in Gurdaspur in Punjab, near the border with Pakistan.The attack involved at least four terrorists, said sources, adding that two had been shot dead by 2 pm. The terrorists, who were in army uniforms, carjacked a Maruti 800, opened fire on a bus, then stormed into a police station in the town of Dinanagar where they were holed up for several hours.Three civilians were killed along with three cops, including a senior police officer Sp Baljit Singh, who died in the counter-terror operation.Home Minister Rajnath Singh said he had ordered increased security on the border with Pakistan, although it is unclear who is responsible for the attack.”We want peace with Pakistan, but not at the cost of national honour,” said the minister, adding, “We will not be the first to strike, but if we are hit, we will give a befitting reply.”Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal appeared to blame the Union government. “The terrorists didn’t come from Punjab, they came from the border. It’s the Centre’s job to seal the border,” he said.
The Prime Minister met with top ministers this morning to discuss the attack; the Congress has alleged a major intelligence failure.”There should be no politics for a case like this… especially by a senior party like the Congress,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu.The government said it will make a statement on the attack in Parliament once the operation to catch the terrorists has concluded.The attack today comes weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif in Ufa in Russia, resulting in an agreement to resume dialogue between the two countries.

PUNJAB POLICE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE (DETECTIVE) BALJIT SINGH KILLED IN DINANAGAR TERRORIST ATTACK
At least 6 persons, including an SP, were killed and 10 injured when heavily armed terrorists wearing army fatigues hijacked a car, drove down to Dinanagar town in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district, opened fire at a bus stand and then stormed a police station here.Punjab Police SP (Investigation) Baljit Singh, posted at Gurdaspur, was said to be among those killed. Besides, six other policemen and three detainees at the police station were shot dead. Three civilians were also killed, including a person inside an adjoining hospital.While the authorities had so far confirmed only five deaths, unconfirmed reports said the toll was 6.Punjab Police DGP Sumedh Singh Saini was said to be supervising the operation, which had not been handed over to the Army. Special forces of the Army and NSG as well as Punjab Police commandos have taken up positions around Dinanagar police station.Home Minister Rajnath Singh said he had spoken to D.K. Pathak, Director-General of the Border Security Force (BSF), and instructed him to step up the vigil on India-Pakistan border in the wake of the attack in Gurdaspur.
This was the first major terror attack in Punjab following the assassination of then Chief Minister Beant Singh on August 31, 1995.
Monday’s attack began at 5.30 am at Dinanagar town in Punjab’s frontier district of Gurdaspur, close to the India-Pakistan border and near the border with Jammu and Kashmir state.A gun battle raged between the terrorists, holed up inside the Dinanagar police station, and security forces, including soldiers. Continuous sound of firing and grenades could be heard hours after the first shots were fired by the militants.
The police station, an adjoining government hospital, residential quarters inside the police station and nearby private houses were quickly cordoned off by security forces.
Minister of State for Home Kirren Rijiju told in Delhi that “as of now there is no information regarding hostages being held. We are looking into it and once I get some more information, I will come out with it”.
The terrorists, numbering four, are believed to have come from Pakistan. They arrived in a Maruti 800 car which they had hijacked after firing at the driver and killing a person at a ‘dhaba’ nearby. They also fired at people near Dinanagar bus stand and then attacked Dinanagar police station, located about 100 metres away.
Eyewitnesses said the terrorists fired on a bus going towards Jammu and later entered the police station.
“We were hit by a burst of gunfire suddenly. I was hit on the shoulder. They are firing indiscriminately every five minutes,” a Punjab police official, who was injured in the attack, told media as he was being taken to the hospital.
The town is about 15 km from the India-Pakistan border and 25 km from the border of Jammu and Kashmir state. It is about 235 km from Chandigarh.
Additional Director-General of Punjab Police, Dinkar Gupta, told media the “attack took the Dinanagar police by surprised”.
Army and police reinforcements were rushed to the spot.Punjab Police sources said it may be a suicide attack.The attack took place just a day after Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal faced pro-Khalistan slogans while attending a function at Panjab University in Patiala.
Rail tragedy averted. In a related development, five live bombs were found on the Amritsar-Pathankot railway track.
The bombs were found by passersby on a bridge near Parmanand railway station on the Amritsar-Pathankot railway section, who informed security forces. Trains on the route were stopped immediately.A major railway tragedy was averted as the bombs had been carefully wired to the railway track at a small bridge near Parmanand railway station, 5km from Dinanagar. A police spokesman told media that the army bomb disposal unit had defused the bombs.
A train, which was to pass over the track, was stopped just 200 metres from the spot where the bombs had been planted.
State on alertChief Minister Parkash Singh Badal visited the injured in hospital, and said there was no threat to peace in Punjab. He will hold a meeting to review the situation in Chandigarh later in the day.Condeming the terror attack, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said all measures would be taken to maintain law and order and the safety of people in the state.Sukhbir Badal, who is on a visit to Poland starting today, asked people to remain calm and maintain peace and harmony in the state, an official release said here. He said he was closely monitoring the situation and had asked the state police chief to personally visit the spot of the attack.
He said alert had also been sounded along the International Border.
The Deputy Chief Minister expressed sympathy with the bereaved families and said the state government would provide free medical treatment to the injured.
Sukhbir Badal is on an investment promotion trip to Poland and Hungary for five days, beginning Monday.