Sunjwan: NIA yet to take over probe

JAMMU: The investigation of deadly Fidayeen attack on Sunjwan Military Station in which seven persons, including six soldiers were martyred, is yet to be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), even as the Defence Minister had asserted early this week.

However, the agency officials expect the official order in this regard to be issued ‘sooner rather than later’.

Well-placed sources in NIA told The News Now from New Delhi that even though Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman in her press conference held at Jammu on Monday had confirmed that probe of the deadliest terror attack on Sunjwan Brigade was handed over to NIA, but the elite investigation agency of the country has not received the final order from Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), under which it falls.

“It may take some more time as we are yet to receive the letter from MHA after which we will register a case of Sunjwan terror attack,” said a senior officer with NIA

“Once the official order is issued, we will form a team of officers, who will work over this case and take over the investigations,” he added.

Of the central probe agency’s officers’ visit inside the station premises even as the operation was on, the officer termed it to be “a routine process”.

It may be mentioned here that a two-member team of NIA headed by a SP rank officer had visited the Sunjwan Military Station on Sunday and Monday.

Presently, the Jammu police has lodged an FIR in the concerned police station and initiated the investigation on its own, but there are number of angles where there is a need to probe in this terror attack.
Sources informed that initially police is investigating on the particular spot from where the terrorists sneaked inside the 12 kilometer wide Military Station in the vicinity of Jammu City.

Another crucial aspect is local support to the terrorists, the possibility of which was not ruled out by the Defence Minister who addressed a press-conference in the city on Monday, the day the operation was called off by the Army.

Sitharaman had said that there was input of four terrorists involved in the attack among whom ‘one might be the guide, who did not entered the military campus.’

Three JeM terrorists were killed by the security forces.

As soon as the NIA takes over the case, Jammu and Kashmir Police will assists them and share the prior details they will be having.