Chandigarh: Four heavily armed terrorists wearing Army fatigues on Monday went on a rampage attacking a bus and a police station complex, leaving five persons, including a policeman, dead and several injured in Gurdaspur district bordering Pakistan.
Authorities said that five people were killed in the terror attack, while unconfirmed reports said the toll may be higher. While a militant has been killed by the security forces, three others are holed up inside the Dinanagar police station.
A gun battle raged between the terrorists, holed up inside the Dinanagar police station, and security forces, including soldiers.
The encounter ended at around 5 pm, after hours firing from both sides.
The terrorists struck a moving bus at Dinanagar area at 5 am, spraying bullets at passengers, injuring four. The assailants then targeted a health centre followed by a building where the families of police personnel reside and hurled grenades before entering the police station.
Army columns have been mobilised as the 'fidayeen' militants were holed up in Dinanagar police station complex. Special forces too have been deployed and a gunbattle was on several hours after the mayhem started.
According to police, the attackers first targeted a roadside eatery and took off in a Maruti 800 with Punjab registration number. They shot dead a roadside vendor near Dinanagar bypass.
They then opened fire on the bus before targeting a community health centre adjacent to Dinanagar police station, killing three civilians including a woman and a policeman.
The police station, adjoining government hospital, residential quarters inside the police station and nearby private houses were quickly cordoned off by security forces.
Some media reports said that the terrorists came from Narowal in Pakistan and militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba is behind the terror attack.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that he had spoken to director general of Border Security Force (BSF) DK Pathak and instructed him to step up the vigil on India-Pakistan border in the wake of attack in Gurdaspur.
