J&K: Fear grips Dangri village, terror strike opens two-decade old wounds

Fear grips the people of Dangri village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, particularly the minority community, after the recent terror attack. The terror strike has also opened the wounds of Bal Jarallan massacre that had taken place over two decades ago.

Bal Jarallan is a village four km ahead of Dangri, the scene of deadly terrorist firing on January 1 and subsequent IED explosion the next morning, which left a total of six civilians, including two cousin sisters, dead and several others injured.

The Bal Jarallan massacre had taken place on February 19, 1999, when terrorists had entered a marriage hall and sprayed bullets on the guests waiting for ‘baraat’. Seven persons belonging to the minority community were killed and as many were injured in the incident.

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Dalip Singh, a resident of Dangri, said the latest incident had opened the old wounds and caused a scare among the people about the revival of terrorism in the border district.
“A number of my close relatives had gone to attend the wedding ceremony in Bal Jarallan and we came to know about the incident only when the victims were being evacuated to hospital while passing in front of our homes as there were no mobile phones in J&K at that time,” he said.

Sanjay Kumar said the Dangri incident is a cause for major concern as it hints at the revival of terror activities in the district after it was declared terrorism free years ago. “The government should take all necessary measures to rebuild the confidence of the people in the security system and track down the attackers to ensure justice to the victims,” Kumar said.

Rajouri SSP Mohammad Aslam had assured that the terrorists involved in the Dangri incident would be neutralised soon. He also said various measures have already been initiated to tackle the terror threat effectively.