2002 Raghunath temple attacks

2002 Raghunath Temple bombings refers to two fidayeen attacks in 2002 on the Raghunath Temple in Jammu in India. Built by Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1860, the Raghunath temple is dedicated to Hindu God Rama.

Part of a series on
Violence against Hindus
in independent India
Issues
Incidents

March attack

The first attack occurred on 30 March 2002 when two suicide bombers attacked the temple. Eleven persons including three security personnel were killed and 20 were injured.[1] The attack occurred around 10:20 AM when the muslim terrorists arrived and fired at the guards killing them on the spot. They then stormed the temple, threw a grenade and fired indiscriminately at the worshippers. After expending his ammunition one of the attackers who was wearing a suicide vest blew himself up.[2] Then Minister of State for External Affairs of India, Omar Abdullah, blamed Pakistan for the terrorist attacks on the Raghunath temple in Jammu and ruled out withdrawing troops from the border, saying Islamabad had done nothing to warrant it.[3]

November attack

The fidayeen suicide squad attacked the temple second time on 24 November 2002[4][5] when two suicide bombers stormed the temple and killed fourteen devotees and injured 45 others.[6][7] Witnesses said terrorists hurled grenades and fired indiscriminately on the heavily guarded Raghunath temple.[8][9] India blamed a Pakistan-based militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, for the attack. Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani of India blamed the recent release by the government of Pakistan of the chief of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed for the attack.[10]

The personnel of Central Reserve Police Force Yatindra Nath Rai, Assistant Commandant, Dev Singh, Head Constable, E.G. Rao, Head Constable, T.A.Singh, Constable, and Late K.K. Pandey, Constable displayed conspicuous gallantry, courage and devotion to duty of a high order.[11] Late K K Pandey was posthumously awarded President's Police Medal for Gallantry. Yatindra Nath Rai, Dev Singh, E.G.Rao and T.A. Singh were awarded Police Medal for Gallantry.[11][12]

References
  1. "J&K: 6 acquitted in Raghunath temple attack case". rediff.com.
  2. Foreign ultras storm Raghunath Temple, The Tribune, 2001-03-31
  3. "The Hindu : Omar Abdullah blames Pak. for Raghunath temple attack". hinduonnet.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2004. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  4. "CNN.com - Heavy firing at Kashmir temple - Nov. 24, 2002". CNN.
  5. 10 Killed in Attack on Temple in Kashmir, The New York Times, 2002-11-25
  6. "BBC NEWS - South Asia - Kashmir temples hit by gunbattles". bbc.co.uk.
  7. "BBC NEWS - South Asia - Kashmir temple reopens". bbc.co.uk.
  8. "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News". tribuneindia.com.
  9. Terrorists attack Jammu temples, 12 dead, The Times of India, 2002-11-24
  10. Pasricha, Anjana. "Security Increased in Jammu City Following Attack on Hindu Temple". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  11. Printed in The Gazette of India, 17 December 2005
  12. "Orders, Decorations and Medals - Medals by Country - Medals of India". jeanpaulleblanc.com.

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