Exclusive: Timeline of how the J&K attack unfolded

While the Army camp is Samba, Jammu, is still being secured following a protracted encounter between Army personnel and  three militants, the Jammu Police completed the interrogation of an auto-driver who will be a key witness as investigations into the daring attack progress later. Firstpost has received exclusive details of the interrogation of the driver, Roshan Lal, as well as accounts of other who saw the Fidayeen on Thursday morning before the attack began.

Here’s is how the attack unfolded, first at a police station in Kathua and then at the Army camp in Samba.

4.30 am: Terrorists likely crossed LoC at Haria Chak village, at the junction of the Punjab-Jammu Kashmir border. Villagers saw the terrorists crossing the village cremation ground, towards the border, but say they assumed they were soldiers.

5.15 am: Roshan Lal, driving an auto-rickshaw meant to ferry vegetables to Samba, says the three terrorists asked him to drive them to Samba. He refused, saying it was too far away. They then told him to drive them to the highway. He says the men were looking for men in police or CRPF uniform, but didn’t see anyone.

6.00 am: En route to the highway, Roshan Lal says the men saw Kathua Police station, and decided to stage an attack of opportunity. They drove by the building a couple of times, checking out its entry gate.

6.30 am: Sole sentry at police station has a grenade thrown at him, followed by firing. Fidayeen enter building, kill three and injure two.

7.00 am: The terrorists caught hold of the driver and conductor of a truck which the Hiranagar police had seized on the highway for rash and negligent driving the previous night. The conductor, a Kashmiri from Anantnag, refuses to accompany the terrorists, saying he’ll be killed. He is shot. The driver then agrees.

8.00 am: The truck approaches Samba. The truck driver is thrown out short of the target. No further witnesses.

8.30 am: Terrorists hit Brigade Headquarters, approaching through a side gate on the forested side of the camp. The sole guard there is killed. The terrorists then enter the gazetted officer’s mess, and hole themselves up inside.