JAMMU: BSF personnel intercepted a messenger pigeon near a forward post along the international border in Jammu’s RS Pura sector on August 19, bearing a suspicious handwritten note threatening to blow up Jammu Tawi railway station using an IED, official sources said.The chit was written in English and Urdu. “Kashmir hamara hai, waqt aa gaya hai, aa jayega (Kashmir is ours, the time has come, it will come). Jammu station IED blast – THE END,” it read.The security grid was subsequently fortified in and around the railway station, and forces were put on high alert. Rigorous passenger checks and baggage inspections followed. Additional police units, a bomb disposal squad, and sniffer dogs were pressed into service to comb the area. Special teams were deployed to monitor any suspicious activity, police sources said.While no explosive was found on the premises, security agencies were unwilling to let their guard down, as Jammu Tawi and Supwal railway stations have previously borne the brunt of terrorism. All trains ran on schedule, and there was no disruption in service.On Aug 16, a gas balloon bearing the Pakistan International Airlines logo was found in a forward area in the border town of Ramgarh in Samba district.Past strikes:
- Jan 2, 2004: 13 people — 4 security personnel and 9 civilians — were killed when 2 ‘fidayeen’ (suicide) bombers attacked Jammu railway station a day ahead of then-PM Atal Behari Vajpayee’s visit to Pak to attend the Saarc summit. 9 security personnel and 6 civilians were injured. Among the deceased was Lt Triveni Singh of 5 JAK LI, who was posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra
- Oct 23, 2003: A bomb planted in the toilet of the bogie next to the engine of the Delhi-bound Shalimar Express exploded. No casualties or injuries reported
- Aug 7, 2001: Suspected ‘fidayeen’ terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba climbed atop an overhead bridge in Jammu railway station and opened indiscriminate fire, killing 13 people including an Army soldier, and injuring 35 others
