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2018 Sunjuwan attack

2018 Sunjuwan attack
Location of Sunjuwan in Jammu city
LocationSunjuwan Military Station, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Coordinates32°42′5.0″N 74°55′19.2″E / 32.701389°N 74.922000°E / 32.701389; 74.922000
Date10 February 2018 (2018-02-10)-
11 February 2018 (2018-02-11)
Deaths10 (6 soldiers, 1 civilian and 3 militants)
Injured11
PerpetratorsJaish-e-Mohammed

On 10 February 2018, at predawn, 3 Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists[1] attacked Sunjuwan Military Station, in the city of Jammu, in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Along with the attackers, 6 soldiers and 1 civilian were killed, while 20 were injured including 14 soldiers, and five women and children.[2][3][4] Notably, this attack coincided with the death anniversary of Afzal Guru,[5] convicted in the 2001 Indian parliament attack.[6] The attack was described as one of the worst since the 2016 Uri attack.

The man described by the Indian Army as the mastermind of the attack, Mufti Waqas, a commander in Jaish-e-Mohammed, was killed in an army operation on 5 March 2018 in Awantipora.[7][8][9]

Attack

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In the early hours of Saturday 10 February 2018, at around 4:10 am IST, three heavily armed militants infiltrated into the military station, which served as the HQ of 36th Brigade which housed army personnel as well as their families. The attackers were armed with AK-47 assault rifles and grenades. They entered the residential quarters and opened fire, killing four soldiers and injuring at least nine others including women and children.[10][11][12]

The militants were cornered in a residential complex and special forces were deployed in a battle that lasted over 24 hours, at the end of which all the militants were killed.[10] The army camp consisting of 150 buildings was cleared out. Subsequently, flushing operations were carried out to neutralise the remaining attackers.[11][12]

Five soldiers, all serving in the 1st battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, were killed in the attack: Sub. Madan Lal Choudhary, Sub. Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Hav. Habibullah Qurashi, Nk. Manzoor Ahmed and L/Nk. Mohammad Iqbal. L/Nk. Mohammad Iqbal's father, a civilian, was also killed.[13][14]

Attackers were identified as Kari Mushtaq, Mohammad Khalid Khan and Mohammad Adil, all of whom were Pakistani nationals.[15][2]

There were also reports that some of the Illegal Rohingyas living in jammu, might have provided logistical assistance to these terrorists.[16]

Aftermath

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The attack happened at a distance of six kilometers from the University of Jammu. Schools in the region were shut and a high alert was sounded in the entire region following the attack.[17] Anti-Pakistan slogans were raised in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly following the attack.[18][19] Local residents of Jammu chanted anti-Pakistan slogans.[20][21]

The pregnant wife of a soldier, Rfn. Nazir Ahmed, was shot in the back during the attack. She was immediately taken to a military hospital and soon afterwards delivered her baby successfully.[22][2][23][3]

Indian defense minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the injured victims. She blamed Pakistan for the attack and said "Pakistan will pay" for the "misadventure".[24][25][26] Pakistan responded the next day rejecting the allegations and accusing India of generating "war hysteria".[27] The US Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats, said in his testimony to Senate Select Committee, that Pakistan-supported terrorist groups would continue to carry out attacks in India. He added that Pakistan's perception of its "eroding position" relative to India in economic and domestic security spheres drove it towards goals counter to those of the United States.[28]

Controversial Indian parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi highlighted the fact that five out of the seven killed in the attack were Kashmiri Muslims. The BJP replied to his statement as giving a "communal angle" to the sacrifices made by the Army.[29] The Indian Army said that it was above religion and would not "communalise [the] martyrs".[30][31][32]

Thousands of local residents gathered to mourn the deaths of the slain soldiers in their home towns of Kupwara, Reshipora in Tral, Kewa village in Anantnag. Army soldiers were also present to give a guard of honour.[33]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Kumar, Ashwini (10 February 2018). "Jammu: Security forces kill terrorist in Sunjwan camp, one jawan injured". India Today. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Singh, Vijaita (14 February 2018). "The long, deadly trek to Sunjuwan". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Sunjuwan attack: Rajnath Singh hails injured pregnant woman who delivered baby after suffering gunshots". The Indian Express. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  4. ^ "5 Soldiers, Civilian Dead in Jammu Attack, One of the Worst Since Uri: 10 Points". NDTV.com. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  5. ^ "Jammu army camp attack: Security breached despite high alert around 'Afzal Guru day'". Hindustan Times. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Jammu terror attack updates: 3 JeM terrorists neutralised at Sunjuwan camp, Mehbooba Mufti meets injured LIVE News, Latest Updates, Live blog, Highlights and Live coverage – Firstpost". firstpost.com. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  7. ^ Team, BS Web (6 March 2018). "Sunjuwan mastermind Mufti Waqas killed in surgical attack: Top developments". Business Standard India. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  8. ^ "Sunjuwan army camp attack mastermind killed in Kashmir encounter". Hindustan Times. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  9. ^ "Mufti Waqas, 'powerful motivator', was brain behind 4 fidayeen attacks". Kashmir Reader. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  10. ^ a b Yasir, Sameer (11 February 2018), "Militants Storm Indian Army Base, Killing Soldiers and a Civilian", The New York Times, retrieved 15 February 2018
  11. ^ a b "Five troops killed in held Kashmir army camp attack as operation enters second day – The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  12. ^ a b "Indian army chief arrives in occupied Kashmir after as 'militants' attack army camp". geo.tv. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  13. ^ "Sunjuwan attack: Five Army soldiers martyred, operation underway". The Times of India. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  14. ^ "Jammu attack LIVE UPDATES: Five soldiers, one civilian dead; Army guns down four terrorists". The Indian Express. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  15. ^ "JeM, LeT synchronised recent attacks in J&K; over 300 terrorists ready to enter India, warns Army". Zee News. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  16. ^ "'Illegal settlement' of Rohingya to be probed by security agencies". The Tribune. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  17. ^ "Jammu on High Alert, Schools Shut After Army Camp Terror Attack: Updates". NDTV.com. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  18. ^ "Anti-Pak protests against Jammu terror attack in J-K Assembly". India Today. 10 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  19. ^ "Operation to flush out terrorists from Army base enters 2nd day". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  20. ^ Pathak, Sanjay (12 February 2018). "Thousands bid adieu to braveheart". The Tribune. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  21. ^ "Thousands attend funeral of soldiers killed in Jammu attack". News Nation. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  22. ^ "Pregnant woman shot by terrorists in Sunjwan attack saved by Army doctors, gives birth". India Today. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  23. ^ "Sitharaman Meets Sunjuwan's Miracle Baby, Injured Jawans". News18. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  24. ^ "Nirmala Sitharaman says Pak to pay for Sunjuwan attack: Top 10 developments". Business Standard India. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  25. ^ Jain, Rupam (13 February 2018). "Sunjuwan attack: India says Pakistan 'will pay' for Kashmir 'misadventure'". Live Mint. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  26. ^ ""Pakistan Picking Soft Targets," Says Senior Army Officer on Sunjuwan Attack". NDTV.com. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  27. ^ "Sunjwan: Army sets camp ablaze; Pak alleges India creating 'war hysteria'". Business Standard. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  28. ^ "Pak.-backed militants to continue attacks in India", The Hindu, Press Trust of India, 15 February 2018, retrieved 16 February 2018
  29. ^ "Jammu attack: Asaduddin Owaisi says five of seven killed in Surjuwan Muslim; BJP calls remarks 'shocking'", Firstpost, 13 February 2018, retrieved 16 February 2018
  30. ^ "Asaduddin Owaisi's martyr jibe draws Army fire". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  31. ^ "Sunjuwan attack: Day after Owaisi's comment on Muslims, Army says it does not communalise martyrs". Scroll.in. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  32. ^ "We don't communalise troops, says Army". The Hindu. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  33. ^ "Thousands attend funeral of soldiers killed in Jammu attack", Kashmir Reader, 14 February 2018, retrieved 16 February 2018