Terrorists Will Either Land in Jail or Be Sent To 'Jahannum:' Centre on Jammu Terror Attacks

New Delhi: While asserting that the Modi government had zero tolerance for terrorism, Rajya Sabha MP and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Wednesday said that terrorists active in Jammu and Kashmir would either land in jail or be sent to jahannum (hell).

Rai was replying to a supplementary question from Congress MP Pramod Tiwari.

Terrorist activities witnessed recently will soon end, the minister said. "They (terrorists) will not succeed in their design," he added.

In the past few days, 28 terrorists have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir and some security personnel have also lost their lives, which is very unfortunate, Rai said.

According to the minister, security forces have killed about 900 terrorists in the region after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

"Modi government has zero tolerance for terrorism. We will end terrorism. They (terrorists) will be either in jail or jahannum... I want to assure the House," Rai said.

Between 2004 and 2014 when the UPA was ruling at the Centre, there were 7,217 incidents of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The number came down to 2,259 from 2014 when the BJP was voted to power, and July 21 this year, Rai said.

"These should not have happened. It is unfortunate but they (the Opposition) should not do politics over it," the minister said.

In 2019, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Rai told the House that 2,829 citizens and security personnel lost their lives between 2004 and 2014. This number has come down by 67 per cent since 2014. Besides, there is also a reduction of 69 per cent in terror incidents.

People in Jammu and Kashmir are now living in a peaceful environment and there is a full guarantee of security, he said. 

Terror Attack on Army Post, VDG's House Foiled in J-K's Rajouri; Search Ops Underway

Army troops thwarted a terrorist attack on a security post and house of a village defence guard (VDG) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district early Monday morning, officials said. 
A cordon and search operation was launched to track down the terrorists, triggering a gunfight, they added. 

A terrorist has been killed and a jawan and a civilian, kin of the VDG whose house was attacked, suffered injuries, according to sources. 

"Terrorists attacked the house of a VDC (member) at Gunda, Rajouri at 03.10 hours. A nearby Army column reacted and a firefight ensued," White Knight Corps said on X. 

"Operations are continuing," it added. It further said that the Indian Army acted on intelligence, anticipating the threat to a VDG in a remote area in Rajouri-Reasi. 

"Tactical teams swiftly intervened, ensuring no harm to the VDC member and his family", it said. 

The operations are continuing and the firefight is in progress, the Corps said. 

According to officials, the terrorists fired on the house of the VDG and ex-serviceman Parshottam Kumar, who is also a Shourya Chakra awardee, in the Gundha area of Khawas tehsil. 

The security personnel retaliated after the terrorists threw a grenade, following which they attacked a newly established Army picket in the area around 4 am, resulting in a fire exchange, they said. 

The troops foiled the attack on the Army post and a cordon and search operation was launched by security forces in the area, resulting in another round of gunfight, they added. 

"A major terror attack on an Army picket in a remote village of Rajouri was thwarted. Firing is underway and operation is in progress," an Army spokesperson said. 

The attack has triggered fear in the area due to the threat of the presence of terrorists in the region. 

"We are terrorised over this attack, which took place in the area after several years. It was a peaceful area. Firing started around 3 am and kept continuing," a local woman said. 

Another villager said that it is time to rearm VDGs with modern weapons and communication technology to take on the terrorists operating in the hills of Jammu. 

Today's terror attack is the 14th incident in the Jammu region in which 10 security personnel including two officers, 9 pilgrims lost their lives and 58 others were injured. Five terrorists were neutralised during the period. 

(with PTI inputs)