IndiaPost.com - Jammu hostage drama ends, three militants killed

JAMMU: Army's Special Forces shot dead the last of the three suspected LeT militants and freed seven hostages including four children they seized in a house near here, ending a 19-hours hostage drama which also witnessed the killing of three men captives by the ultras.

"The operation is over. Our Special Forces have killed third militant," army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel S D Goswami told PTI.

Goswami said that seven hostages, including four children, their mother who sustained bullet injuries in her leg and two other persons were safe after the prolonged hostage drama and gun battle between the security forces and militants.

However, three hostages were killed by the militants before the final assault was launched, he said.

"The final assault was lunched at 11:45 pm by the special forces of the army and entire family of the house owner including four children were rescued," he said. Ashok Kumar, a teacher and the tenant, one territorial army jawan who went inside during the operation and another person were killed, the army spokesman said.

After killing all the militants holed up inside the two-storeyed house at Chinore, 20 kms from Jammu city, the army moved in and rescued the hostages.

Thirty five-year-old Sunita Devi, the injured mother of the four children aged between two and nine, was admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu.

The children have been identified as Sheetal (9), Vipin (2), Ashad (7) and Kajal (4). Two other captives who were rescued were the house owner's brother and sister-in-law.

Earlier in the evening, security forces killed two of the three militants who were inside the house. It was a trauma they would have never imagined to come across.

Fear could be seen on the faces of the seven hostages, including four children, who were held captive by suspected LeT militants for 19-hours before being freed.

One little child said the armed militants were in police uniform, had entered the kitchen and asked all the inmates of the house to assemble together. "We went inside the kitchen but they got us out. They were talking and were in police uniform," the child said.

The children said they were scared and were very happy that they have been rescued. A woman - one of the hostages - said, "They (militants) said 'we will kill you'. We pleaded with them not to kill us and said take all the belongings and cash but please spare us. We have small children. "They then locked all of us, except my husband who they kept separately in a room," she said.

The father of the children -Billo Ram- who was not among the hostages, said, "I had lost hope. I had given up. It was God's grace that they (the children) are safe. I am also thankful to the army for getting them out." Army's Special Forces shot dead the last of the three suspected LeT militants.