Gunmen Open Fire on Three Youth in Jammu’s Mandal, Police Suspect Gang Rivalry
Jammu, Feb 4: Chaos and fear gripped the Mandal area of Jammu this evening after three to four unidentified gunmen opened fire on three local youth, allegedly over an old rivalry. The attack, which occurred around 6:30 PM near the local Panchayat Ghar, left the residents in a state of panic.
According to police sources, the assailants, traveling in an Alto car, fired three to four rounds at Arun Choudhary, son of Janak Raj, Sachin Choudhary, son of Ashok Kumar, and Manmohan, son of Subash, all residents of Phallain Mandal. However, the victims managed to escape unharmed by running in different directions, evading the bullets.
The attackers, in an apparent show of dominance, also vandalized two parked vehicles—a Scorpio (JK02DL-9921) and a WagonR (JK02AK-5755)—by smashing their window panes with sharp-edged weapons (tokas), further intensifying the panic in the locality.
After carrying out the attack, the gunmen fled the scene in the same Alto car. The police have launched a manhunt to identify and apprehend the suspects, but no arrests had been made till the time of reporting.
Authorities have registered a case (FIR No. 23/2025) at Police Station Satwari under relevant sections of the law, and investigations are underway to ascertain further details.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the attack was linked to a personal enmity between two rival groups. This incident comes weeks after a high-profile gang-related killing in Jammu. On January 20, gangster Sumit Jandial (37) alias Gataru, a resident of Vijaypur, Samba, was shot dead in broad daylight near a police check post in Jewel Chowk by members of the Khauf gang, leading to heightened tensions in the city.
Police are probing whether today’s shooting is a retaliatory act linked to previous gang violence. Security has been heightened in the area to prevent further escalation of hostilities, and law enforcement agencies are working to track down the perpetrators.
Residents of Mandal have expressed concerns over rising incidents of gang-related violence and have urged authorities to take stringent action against criminal elements to restore peace and security in the region.
