Kendriya Vidyalaya Sunjuwan, which was located inside the Military Station might have also been one of the targets of Jaish-e-Mohammed fidayeens, apart from the Army installations as the militants attacked unarmed family members of the Army soldiers after intruding inside the Station.
The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sunjuwan has hundreds of students and staff members. Quarters of some of the staff members are also inside the Military Station.
However, the school was closed today in view of second Saturday holiday.
Sources said a major catastrophe has been averted with timely neutralization of terrorists as there were number of family members of the Army soldiers inside the quarters.
Meanwhile, distant booms of the guns broke early morning slumbers of residents of the Garrison town Sunjuwan on the outskirts of Jammu today.
And their initial belief of it being usual practice shooting inside the Army camp dissipated as the firing became intense and an alarm was sounded. Soon, it dawned on them — the Army camp has been targeted.
“It all began around 4.55 AM with deafening sounds of explosions and gunfire. Initially, we thought it was a routine practice firing but when there was an alarm from inside the camp, we thought something is wrong,” said Mohammad Yasir, a resident.
The number of militants was not immediately available but preliminary reports suggest that they cut wire fencing on the rear side of the camp and entered into it.
The residents have moved out of their homes as a precautionary measure and are camping at safer places nearby.
Yasir said the heavy exchange of firing stopped at around 0830 hours and later by intermittent exchange could be heard.
Security officials present at the scene said the Army initially focussed on rescuing civilians inside the camp, spread over a vast area. The families of Army personnel were at the camp.
Police and CRPF have thrown a cordon outside the camp so that no militant manage to escape from the camp.
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