Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited the families of four policemen who were killed in an encounter with Pakistani terrorists in Kathua district, offering his condolences and assuring government support.
The encounter, which took place in the remote forested area of the Sanyal belt on Thursday, resulted in the deaths of two infiltrating terrorists and four policemen, while three others, including a deputy superintendent of police, sustained injuries.
LG Sinha first visited the home of Balvinder Singh Chib in Kanna Chak, Kathua district, where he met his wife and other grieving family members. Expressing his deepest condolences, he assured them of full government assistance. He then travelled to Londi village near the International Border (IB) to meet the family of Jaswant Singh and extend his support during their time of loss.
Continuing his visit, the Lieutenant Governor reached Chamba village in Reasi district, where he met the family of police officer Tariq Ahmad. In his interactions with the bereaved families, he pledged government jobs for the next of kin, particularly the widows of the fallen policemen, to ensure their financial stability.
The wives of the deceased officers requested jobs in civilian departments, citing the need to care for their young children. LG Sinha assured them that their requests would be considered sympathetically.
He later visited the family of Head Constable Jagbir Singh in the Akhnoor area of Jammu district to personally convey his condolences and promise government assistance.
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The encounter in Kathua unfolded after police received intelligence about a group of terrorists hiding in a "dhok," a local term for an enclosure in a nursery, in Sanyal village near the International Border. Acting on the tip-off, security forces tracked the suspects, leading to a gunfight in which two terrorists were neutralised.
The bodies of three policemen—Balwinder Singh Chib, Jaswant Singh, and Tariq Ahmad—were recovered on Friday evening, while the body of Head Constable Jagbir Singh was found in the Ghati-Juthana forest on Saturday.
The slain terrorists are believed to have been affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), a Pakistan-based terror outfit. Along with their bodies, security forces recovered a cache of war-like stores from the encounter site. The People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a shadow outfit of JeM, later claimed responsibility for the attack.
LG Sinha reaffirmed the government's commitment to supporting the families of the martyred policemen and ensuring strict action against those responsible for orchestrating such attacks.
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