New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday stressed that the terror organisation that was planning a terror plot which resulted in Thursday's Nagrota encounter, was 'Pakistan-based'. PM Modi also praised the 'bravery and professionalism' of Indian security forces for neutralising the terrorists.
"Neutralising of 4 terrorists belonging to Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed and the presence of large cache of weapons and explosives with them indicates that their efforts to wreak major havoc and destruction have once again been thwarted," PM Modi tweeted.
Heaping praise on the security forces, he added, "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."
Four terrorists travelling in a truck were killed on Thursday morning during an ongoing encounter near Nagrota in J&K' Jammu district. The encounter broke out at Ban Toll Plaza Jammu with Police, CRPF and Army.
Earlier speaking to IANS, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said a group of four JeM terrorists had infiltrated into India through the International Border in Samba on Wednesday night. They were travelling in a truck on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which was intercepted by the police at a toll plaza near Nagrota.
After they were intercepted the heavily armed terrorists threw grenades at the police party. During the gun battle the truck caught fire.
This planned attack, which was thwarted, comes in the backdrop of the impending local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir and ahead of the 26/11 Mumbai attack anniversary.
Earlier on Thursday, India slammed the Pakistan Army for pushing terrorists into Jammu & Kashmir through the Line of Control (LoC) despite repeated calls for restraint.
In its weekly briefing, the ministry of external affairs said, "The incessant infiltration of terrorists and induction of weapons to fuel terror activities continues unabated. Such activities are not possible without the support of Pakistani forces deployed along the LoC."
Despite repeated calls for restraint and adherence to the ceasefire understanding of 2003 for maintaining peace and tranquillity, Pakistani forces continue to engage in providing supporting cover fire to infiltrators, the ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.
The Central government lodged a strong protest over the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces, on multiple sectors along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir on November 13, which resulted in the killing of four innocent civilians and serious injuries to 19 others.
Srivastava said the Charge d'Affaires of the High Commission of Pakistan was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs on November 14. India also strongly protested Pakistan's continued support to cross-border terrorist infiltration into India.
"Pakistan was once again reminded of its bilateral commitment to not allow any territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India in any manner," he said.
J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited the Government Medical College in Jammu on Thursday to enquire about the wellbeing of policemen injured while neutralising terrorists in an encounter in Nagrota earlier in the day.
The Lt Governor met the injured police personnel undergoing treatment at the hospital and assured them of the best possible health facility for their treatment, besides lauding their exemplary courage.
(With IANS Inputs)