Jammu: A major tragedy was averted when an alert policeman, who was injured in a gun battle with a group of militants at a toll plaza here on Friday, uncovered a cavity inside the truck meant to ferry the armed terrorists to the Kashmir Valley.
Three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants were killed in the gun battle that broke out after a group of terrorists, travelling in a truck, opened fire at a police team at a toll plaza on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway here.
Bhom Raj, who is a constable with the Nagrota police station and deployed for checking at the Bann Toll plaza, said he was unarmed and could not retaliate.
“Around 5 am, we intercepted a truck, JK03F-1478, for a routine checking. The driver, along with two more persons, was in the front seat of the truck and told us that they are carrying medicine and other items to Kashmir. But we were not satisfied,” Raj, who is undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital here, said.
The police and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel asked the driver and two others to remove the cover and open the door of the truck, he said.
“I started checking the vehicle and saw a blanket and shoes near the gate, when I peeped inside the middle door of truck, I grew suspicious. I thought the truck is fully loaded with white bags, how come blanket and shoes are there,” he said.
As soon as they removed the cover, some men, hiding in the cavity formed inside the truck, started firing at us, the policeman said.
“The CISF retaliated and gunned down a terrorist. The militants jumped down into the gorge and disappeared in thick forest area,” he said.
He said there were three policemen, including an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and four CISF personnel, at the check post but they were unarmed.
“Had I got a weapon, I would have killed more terrorists. I feel that this was an opportunity,” Raj said.
The L-shaped cavity was formed inside the truck to hide the terrorists and ferry them to Kashmir, officials said.
Police said the terrorist group is suspected to have infiltrated from along the International Border (IB) in Kathua district to carry out an attack.
Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh met the injured policeman in the hospital and praised him for his bravery.
Nisham Ismail