Terrorist Strike at Tanda army Camp

Wednesday, July 23, 2003

Press Statement

Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) expresses its grave concern over the escalation of terrorist attacks in Jammu & Kashmir. In a shocking incident a suicide squad attacked an army camp at Tanda, near Akhnoor killing eight military personnel including a Brigadier and inflicting injuries to many other top army officers. This attack comes barely less than eight hours after the terrorist attack on Vaishno Devi pilgrims at Katra where seven people were killed and 13 others were injured. The Polit Bureau conveys its condolences to the families of those who died in the attack.

These attacks are an attempt to disrupt the ongoing process towards Indo-Pak dialogue. Given the initiation of this process, the central government should have expected such attacks by desperate elements and taken adequate measures to prevent them. The lack of vigilance is borne out by the fact that eight terrorist attacks have taken place since May when the Prime Minister announced a new initiative for beginning dialogue with Pakistan.

Such lapses on the part of the government on this score will be used by the terrorists in pursuance of their nefarious aims. The Central government and the defence authorities need to immediately review the situation and the measures taken, to ward off such attacks in the future.