Gurdaspur:  In an attack in Punjab early on Monday morning, terrorists opened fire at Gurdaspur police station. One terrorist has been killed and four others are holed up inside the police station in Dinanagar in the Gurdaspur district of Punjab. Firing is still on. The terrorists are dressed in Army uniform.

According to reports, over 10 civilians have been killed including 7 policemen, 3 civilians.

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Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had earlier said that Special Forces have been deployed in Gurdaspur and added that the counter insurgency forces are already there.

"The Special Forces have left for Gurdaspur. The Home Ministry will give more information. The Special Forces have moved there. The counter insurgency and counter terror special forces are there," Parikkar said.

-No hostage situation-

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju had earlier said that no hostage situation in the Gurdaspur attack has been reported so far.

"The attack is serious. I can't give any details as the operation is still going on. No hostage situation has been reported so far," he said.

 IG Border Zone, Ishwar Chander said there was no hostage situation in the Gurdaspur terror attacks.

"Four-five people attacked police station in the morning, we have engaged them in an encounter. We are on the job, there is nohostage situation, it is a Punjab police commando op," said Sharma.

-Security beefed up in Punjab, J&K and Parliament-

Security has been enhanced across Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the Gurdaspur terror attack.

Security has also been tightened at the North and South Block.

Alert has been sounded in Parliament premises in the national capital as security forces has been beefed up.

-Govt, security forces will give befitting reply to terrorists-

Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday said that the government and security forces will give a befitting reply to the terrorists.

The police and security forces are carrying out the operations there with force... The Home Ministry is monitoring the situation. The Punjab Government is monitoring the situation. The government, security forces and the police will give a befitting reply to those terrorists who have come with wrong intentions," Naqvi told reporters.

-Punjab terror attack 'eerily similar' to Jammu attacks-

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said the timing, methodology and location of the Gurdaspur attack is 'eerily similar' to the attacks in the border belt of Jammu.

"Will be very interested to see what emerges about the identity of the terrorists involved in the Gurdaspur attack this morning," Abdullah tweeted.

"The timing of the attack, methodology and location are all eerily similar to attacks in the border belt of Jammu," he added.

-Condemnation-

Condemning the attack, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "Strongly condemn the terror attack in Gurdaspur.I hope the situation is brought under control at the earliest. My prayers are with the families of those of who lost their lives in the attack."

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hoped that the culprits would be nabbed soon. He tweeted, "We strongly condemn cowardly attack on innocent ppl in Punjab. We are with the people of Punjab and hope that culprits wud soon be nabbed."

 

The terrorists - who are suspected to have crossed into India from the Hiranagar border in Jammu, about 85 km from Gurdaspur - are still holed up inside the Dinanagar police station and have been exchanging fire with security forces for hours now.

Before they attacked the police station at about 5.45 am, the terrorists opened fire at a Jammu-bound Punjab Roadways bus. While eight persons have died so far, several people have been injured