Attackers Identified, Highway Vulnerable: IGP
Srinagar, Oct 3 (GNS): Two bike-borne militants of ‘Lashker-e-Toiba’ carried out a broad daylight attack on CRPF on Jammu-Srinagar highway near Pampore on Monday afternoon, killing two paramilitary men and injuring three others.
Official sources told GNS that two militant riding a bike fire “indiscriminately” on a road opening party of CRPF’s 110 battalion nearby Tangan Bypass before escaping from the spot.
Five troopers were injured in who were subsequently shifted to army’s 92 Base Hospital. Two of them—constables Shailendra Singh and Dhirendra Tripathi (driver) succumbed to wounds while ASI Goraknath Head Countable Mukud Singh constable D. Kipgen are under treatment.
Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar who visited the scene of attack told reporters that militants carried out the attack at 12:45 P.M.
“Two bike borne militants fired indiscriminately on CRPF’s ROP with Ak-47. Our personnel retaliated and there was lot of cross firing in which out two more jawans were injured. The (militants) have been identified. We will soon neutralize him,” he said as per a GNS correspondent.
“One is a Pakistani militant Saifullah and other is local. He (Pakistani militant) had carried an attack in Chadoora in which one ASI was killed. Some days back he carried an attack from some distance in Nowgam. This is his third attack”, he said.
To a question that highway remains target for militants, the top police officer responded in affirmative. “It is a target. It is vulnerable. Many civilian vehicles move and there is difficulty for the jawans to retaliate. If we also fire indiscriminately, there is possibility of civilian casualties. We have to fire with preventive measures,” he said, adding, “Militants does come announcing beforehand that they are coming. They come by concealing weapon and fire from nearby. This is guerilla war type attack. We have solution for it and very soon we will neutralize him.”
Asked about the condition of the three paramilitary men, he said, “all three men are stable at army’s 92 base hospital.”(GNS)