Security personnel keep vigil during Army Chief Dalbir Singh Suhag’s visit to the Army camp in Nagrota on Wednesday. Tribune Photo: Inderjeet Singh

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 30

Tuesday’s terror attack at Nagrota, which claimed lives of seven Army men, including two Majors, has once again brought back memories of devastating terror attack of May 14, 2002, at the cantonment town of Kaluchak on the Jammu-Pathankot national highway. The worst-ever terror strike in J&K had left over 35 soldiers, their wives and children dead.Fourteen years after the incident, terrorists managed to reach near the family quarters at Nagrota. Their aim was to repeat another Kaluchak by targeting family members of the soldiers but they could not.Fortunately, it was bravery and presence of mind of the wives of two Army officers that terrorists’ nefarious design to repeat Kaluchak at Nagrota was frustrated.“The brutality of terrorists, which we witnessed on May 14, 2002, was revived after Tuesday’s incident at Nagrota,” said Ravinder Singh, who runs a shop near Kaluchak.Even after passing of 14 years, signs of terror’s cruelty have still not been erased from the block of family quarters which the terrorists had managed to enter after storming the Army formation. “The block, which witnessed bloodshed and destruction 14 years back, still wears a deserted look,” Brij Nath, a local of Kaluchak said while recounting how three terrorists, who were dressed in Army uniforms, had lobbed grenades and fired on the soldiers, their family members, including small kids.Sources in the intelligence agencies said the initial investigation had established that the terrorists, who attacked the Army formation at Nagrota, had conducted a thorough recce before executing their plan. “It appears that terrorists were well aware about the location of the family quarters which was their target,” the sources said.As reported earlier, soon after the terrorists entered the Army unit located at Nagrota they were desperate to enter the family quarters where they could take the families of the soldiers and officers hostage.However, due to the bravery of two women, who were staying in the family quarters along with their newborns, the nefarious designs of the terrorists were frustrated.The wives of the two Army officers displayed exemplary courage as they blocked the entry of their quarters with all household items, making it difficult for the terrorists to break into the houses.

Fidayeen aimed for families

• The terror strike in Nagrota brought back memories of devastating terror attack of May 14, 2002, at the cantonment town of Kaluchak on the Jammu-Pathankot national highway which left over 35 soldiers, their wives and children dead.
• On Tuesday, the three fidayeen terrorists managed to reach near the family quarters at Nagrota and their aim was to repeat another Kaluchak by targeting family members of the soldiers.
• Fortunately, the presence of mind of the wives of two Army officers nixed the nefarious designs of the terrorists.