Srinagar: Two motorcycle-borne militants opened indiscriminate fire on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) party in Nowgam area of the city here on Monday, killing two paramilitary and injuring three others, police said.
The injured include an assistant sub-inspector of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), they said.
Militants fired upon a security forces party near Kandizal Bridge in Nowgam, Srinagar this afternoon, a police official said.
He said five CRPF personnel, including an ASI, were injured in the firing.
The injured personnel were taken to the Army’s 92 base hospital, where the doctors declared two of them — Constables Shalinder Pratap Singh and Devndra Kumar Tripathi — brought dead, the official said.
He said the other three personnel — ASI Gorakh Nath, Constable Kirgain and Constable James — are undergoing treatment and their condition is stated to be stable.
The militants fled the spot after the attack. Soon after the incident, the area was cordoned off and a manhunt was launched to nab the attackers. Senior officials also rushed to the spot.
Speaking to reporters, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said the attack was carried out by two LeT militants who have been identified.
“Two militants from Lashkar-e-Taiba came on a motorbike and fired indiscriminately on the CRFP Road Opening Party using AK-47. The forces retaliated and there was heavy cross-firing. The militants were successful in escaping, but we have identified them and will soon neutralise them,” the IGP said.
He said one of the militants has been identified as Saifullah, a Pakistani militant, and the other is a local.
“Saifullah was involved in an attack on CRPF in Chadoora in which an ASI was martyred. He was also involved in firing in Nowgam. This is his third attack and we will neutralise him soon,” Kumar said.
He said that militants find it easy to target security forces on the highway.
“The national highway is a target and a vulnerable place but because many civilian vehicles pass every day, our forces face difficulty in retaliating. If we retaliate and fire indiscriminately too, there will be civilian causalities. So we have to take preventive measures,” the IGP said.
Kumar said the militants were using guerrilla warfare tactics to attack the security forces.
“Militants do not announce that they are coming for an attack, they come by concealing their weapons, come close and then fire. They attack like guerrilla warfare, but we have a solution to this and we will soon neutralise them in an encounter,” he said.
About another exchange of fire between militants and state forces at Parinad area of Awantipore, he said: “There was an initial exchange of fire but then no contact was established thereafter.”
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha condemned the killing of CRPF personnel by militants and promised that the sacrifice of the security men “will not go in vain”.
He said that the government was determined and committed to foil the design of those who want to disrupt peace and derail the development of Jammu and Kashmir through such attacks.
Search Operation Launched In Sopore
State forces meanwhile launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in apple township of Sopore in north Kashmir, official sources said.
They said on a tip off about the presence of militants, troops of Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF launched a joint search operation at village Bulgam, Sopore this morning.
All exit points were sealed, they said adding house-to-house search has been launched.
However, so far no contact was established with the militants, they said adding further details are awaited. (With PTI Inputs)
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