The perpetrators of today's terror strike in Punjab are suspected to have sneaked into India from Pakistan through the unfenced border between Jammu and Pathankot or Chak Hira in Jammu district to launch the brazen assault about which central agencies had intelligence inputs.


Union Home Ministry sources said the terrorists, the name of whose outfit was still unclear, may have entered the Indian territory around last midnight and hit the highway using Paharpur road, nearly 15 km from the international border, to unleash mayhem that left six dead, including an SP rank officer of Punjab police.


Today's incident bore striking similarity with suicide attacks that have taken place in Kathua and Hira Nagar in Jammu region. The last attack in Jammu was carried out by terrorists belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed whose fidayeen combatants, clad in Army fatigues, stormed a police station in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua District on March 20 this year, killing six persons, including three security force personnel.


Both the militants had been killed in retaliatory action. The terrorists involved in today's attacks, also wearing Army uniforms, reached Parmanand village on Jammu and Kashmir's border with Punjab where they attempted to hijack a tempo at 5.30 am.