Terrorists attacked a passenger bus in Punjab and then stormed a police station in Gurdaspur early on Monday, killing 8 people including civilians and the Superintendent of Police Baljit Singh, before being shot dead.
All the three terrorists have been killed by security forces after a 12-hour long stand-off. Three civilians and five police officials lost their lives in the Gurdaspur attack.
A woman was said to be among the terrorists in Monday's attack.
The Intelligence Bureau said that the terrorists came from Narowal in Pakistan, according to reports.
While intelligence officials believe that the terrorists could be from Lashkar-e-Taiba or Jaish-e-Mohammad, former Punjab DGP KPS Gill told ANI that the Gurdaspur attack took place under the 'umbrella of Isis'.
"This is visiting card of Isis," Gill was quoted saying.
According to Hindustan Times, the Punjab police heard the terrorists shout 'Allah hu Akbar' — which means 'God is great', a phrase that has come to be chillingly familiar with Isis attacks.
On the other hand, some officials believe that the terrorists were from LeT and were backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), as per reports.
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The terrorists were reportedly wearing Army uniforms and hijacked a car to get to the police station early on Monday.
Gunmen opened fire at a bus near the station, which is located near the Punjab-Jammu Kashmir border. Some passengers have reportedly been injured. They also hurled grenades at a building housing families of police officials, before storming into the Gurdaspur police station.
Live bombs were also found on a railway track in Punjab. Terror Alert Across India - Live Bomb Found in Nashik
Gurdaspur Terror Attack:
- 11 people, including the terrorists, were killed in the attack on Monday.
- All gunmen in the Gurdaspur attack have been killed, Reuters reported, citing state a government source.
- Three terrorists have been killed, the Punjab police said, as per reports.
- Vinod Khanna, Bollywood actor and MP from Gurdaspur, Punjab, condemned the terror attack through Twitter.
Horrified by & condemn the attack by terrorists on innocents in Dinanagar, Gurdaspur. Confident @PMOIndia & govt taking best possible steps
— Vinod Khanna (@VinodKhanna) July 27, 2015
- The Gurdaspur attack has taken place under the 'umbrella of Isis', former Punjab DGP KPS Gill told ANI.
This happened under umbrella of ISIS, this is visiting card of ISIS: KPS Gill (Former Punjab DGP) on #GurdaspurAttack pic.twitter.com/81VF5pk8Kz
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2015
- The Gurdaspur attack terrorists are likely from Lashkar-e-Taiba or Jaish-e-Mohammad, intelligence experts have told some sections of the media.
- Police sources have told Reuters that the attackers had entered India's Jammu and Kashmir state from Pakistan two days before launching the attack in neighbouring Punjab.
- Sharpshooters have been sent in to take down the remaining terrorists, as per reports.
- Officials have now said that one terrorist was killed and another injured. About 1 to 2 terrorists are still believed to be holed up inside an empty building and are continuing to fire at security forces.
- India's Home Minister Rajnath Singh warned Pakistan of a 'befitting reply'.
"We want peace with Pakistan, but not at the cost of national honour. We will not be the first to strike, but if we are hit, we will give a befitting reply," he said, according to the Press Trust of India.
- Another terrorist has reportedly been killed in security operations. One militant was killed earlier. However, intermittent firing still continues, nearly nine hours after the militants launched their attack in Punjab.
- There is reportedly a woman terrorist among the militants who attacked the Gurdaspur police station, an injured security personnel told ANI.
- One of the police officials killed in the Gurdaspur terror attack has been identified as Punjab Police SP (detective) Baljeet Singh. The senior police officer was reportedly shot in the head while fighting the militants, according to reports.
- Ceasefire violations were reported at the Pakistan border on Monday hours after the terror attack in Punjab. The intelligence bureau has said that the militants entered from Narowal in Pakistan.
- An alert has been sounded in the Parliament premises, and security has been tightened in the North Block following the Punjab terror attack, according to ANI.
FLASH: Alert sounded in Parliament premises, security forces at spot
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2015
- Home Affairs minister Rajnath Singh has called for increase in vigil at the India-Pakistan border. Security has been beefed up in Jammu and Kashmir following the attack in neighbouring Punjab.
Security level enhanced in Jammu and Kashmir pic.twitter.com/2rai64W6kl
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2015
- The Intelligence Bureau has said that the terrorists came from Narowal in Pakistan, according to The Times of India.
- The Indian Army has defused the live bombs that were found on a railway track in Gurdaspur, close to where the terrorists attacks took place on Monday morning.
- One militant has reportedly been killed. However, several terrorists are still holed up.
- The death toll has risen to 9. Six civilians and 3 police officials have been killed in the Punjab terror attack.
UPDATE: 6 civilians, 3 police home guards killed & 4 persons injured in suspected terror attack in Dina Nagar, Gurdaspur (Punjab).
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2015
- There is no hostage situation as has been reported, the Army and the Home Affairs ministry have said, according to news channels.
Spot visuals of suspected terror attack in Dina Nagar, Gurdaspur (Punjab) pic.twitter.com/Zyn0b7v6JX
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2015
- Six civilians have been killed in the Gurdaspur terror attack, and 2 police home guards have also lost their lives, bringing the toll so far to 8.
6 civilians, 2 police home guards killed & 4 injured in Gurdaspur suspected terror attack; no reports of hostage.
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2015
- The death toll from the Gurdaspur terror attack has risen to 5, according to ANI news agency.
UPDATE: Death toll of Gurdaspur suspected terror attack rises to 5 after 2 police home guards died during ops,Army takes charge of operation
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2015
- The terrorists have reportedly taken hostages inside the Dinanagar police station, according to CNN-IBN. The family members of some police officials have been held hostage, according to the news channel.
Possible hostage situation emerging out of suspected terrorist attack in Punjab's Gurdaspur @ibnlive
— Umesh Upadhyay (@upadhyayumesh) July 27, 2015
- Home Minister Rajnath Singh has spoken to Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.
HM Rajnath Singh spoke to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who apprised him of the developing situation in Gurudaspur.
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2015
- Army units have reached the Dinanagar police station where the terrorists are still holed up.
3 killed & 4 injured in a suspected terror attack in Dina Nagar, Gurdaspur, (Punjab). (Spot visuals) pic.twitter.com/GMAoBGvLaP
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2015
- The bombs were found on the Pathankot-Amritsar railway station.
Suspected terror attack in Gurdaspur: 5 live bombs recovered from Dina Nagar- Pathankot railway track (Spot Visuals) pic.twitter.com/hw9Jeopc2M
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2015
- The toll has increased to 3 in the Punjab terror attack.
UPDATE: 3 killed & 4 injured in suspected terror attack in Gurdaspur (Punjab), firing underway between police & militants
— ANI (@ANI_news) July 27, 2015
- Live bombs have been found on a railway track in Punjab, according to NDTV. It is not clear if the bombs are connected to the Gurdaspur terror attack.
- Another person is said to have succumbed in the Punjab terror attack, bringing the toll so far to 2.
- Additional forces have reached the spot and surrounded the police station.
- The terrorists are still holed up inside the police station.