A day after the deadly attack near Sunjwan army installation in Jammu left a CISF officer and two fidayeen (suicide) militants dead, National Investigation Agency (NIA) chief Kuldeep Singh on Saturday visited the encounter site.
Sources told DH that the premier central probe agency is likely to take over the investigation into the Sunjwan attack which also left nine security forces personnel injured.
The NIA chief, who is also the Director-General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), had rushed to Jammu on Friday evening barely a few hours after the attack. Reports said on Saturday Inspector General of CRPF, Jammu briefed him about the gun battle.
The attack took place despite heightened security arrangements across Jammu and Kashmir just two days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the neighbouring Samba district.
After receiving the briefing about the encounter Singh said, “It was a major attack which was thwarted (by security forces).”
Asked whether the NIA will take over the case, he said, “It will depend...we will see, nothing can be said at the moment.”
Reports said the NIA chief also visited the venue of the Prime Minister’s public rally at Palli panchayat in Samba district and reviewed the security situation. The PM is scheduled to visit Samba district's Palli village on National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24. He is also scheduled to address a gathering there.
Earlier, on Friday evening a team of the NIA had visited the encounter site and collected first-hand information. According to standard operating procedure (SOP), the NIA visit the spots where terror attacks take place and collect the samples. However, it can take up the probe only after direction from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
In the last six years, the anti-terror agency has probed several high profile cases in J&K, which includes February 14, 2019 fidayeen attack on a CRPF convoy in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district which left 40 paramilitary personnel dead.
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