Terror attack in Gurdaspur; 9 dead, 4 injured

Assailants fire at bus, enter police station; Army, police operation on

Chandigarh, July 27 : Nine persons were killed and at least four injured when terrorists attacked Dinanagar police station in Gurdaspur district after opening fire on a bus on Monday morning. At least 10 assailants wearing Army fatigues mounted the attack, to which the Army and Punjab Police immediately responded. An NSG team was also on the way. Among the dead were three Home Guards personnel and six civilians.There were initial reports that six or seven families of policemen living on the premises had been taken hostage, but the Army has denied this.State police had first responded to the attack, and the Punjab Police’s Special Security Group and Army teams later joined in. Besides Gurdaspur, reinforcements from neighbouring police districts of Batala and Pathankot have also reached Dinanagar. The police chiefs of all three districts were also on the spot. Five explosive devices were found on the Pathankot-Amritsar railway track near Gurdaspur.Before attacking the police station, the terrorists had opened fire on a Jammu-bound bus, in which six passengers were injured.According to initial inputs, the attackers were suspected to owe allegiance to the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit.
At the police station, the Dinanagar SHO was among those injured. He was removed to Gurdaspur Civil Hospital, where entry was restricted by the police.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who apprised him of the developing situation in Gurudaspur.