Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday praised the "bravery and professionalism" of Indian security forces while explicitly blaming Pakistan for an aborted terror attack where four terrorists were killed in a fierce gunbattle in Jammu & Kashmir. 

"Neutralising of 4 terrorists belonging to Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed and the presence of large cache of weapons and explosives with them indicates that their efforts to wreak major havoc and destruction have once again been thwarted," PM Modi tweeted.

Heaping praise on the security forces, he added, "Our security forces have once again displayed utmost bravery and professionalism. Thanks to their alertness, they have defeated a nefarious plot to target grassroots level democratic exercises in Jammu and Kashmir."

Four terrorists travelling in a truck were killed on Thursday morning during fierce firefight near Nagrota in Jammu district. The  broke out at Ban Toll Plaza Jammu with Police, CRPF and Army.

Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said a group of four JeM terrorists had infiltrated into India through the International Border in Samba on Wednesday night. They were travelling in a truck on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which was intercepted by the police at a toll plaza near Nagrota.

After they were intercepted the heavily armed terrorists threw grenades at the police party. During the gun battle the truck caught fire.

This planned attack, which was thwarted, comes in the backdrop of the impending local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir and ahead of the 26/11 Mumbai attack anniversary.

Later PM Modi reviewed the security apparatus along the International Border and the Line of Control with Pakistan amid incidents of terrorists infiltrating into the country.

Sources privy to the high-level meeting said that Prime Minister reviewed the security grid as investigations in the Nagrota encounter indicated that the terrorists were planning to do "something big" on the anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

(IANS)