According to Inspector General of CRPF, Nalin Prabhat, the bus, returning after a firing exercise to Srinagar, was ambushed by two terrorists who were coming from the opposite side.
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Militants killed eight Indian police officials and injured 20 when they attacked a security convoy in northern Jammu & Kashmir state on Saturday, a police spokesman said, in an attack claimed by Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Jammu: Condemning the attack on CRPF personnel in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, BJP today said it is time the Centre directed the security forces to “attack and destroy” terrorist training camps across the border in Pakistan.
The CRPF’s road opening party engaged the terrorists and killed two of them.
“They (standard operating procedures) were absolutely followed”, he said when asked to comment on Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s statement voicing doubt over whether the SOPs were followed properly by the bus-borne CRPF personnel.
While former CRPF chief Prakash Mishra had said the force was “not keen (to use MPVs) at all in LWE areas but may be we need them in Kashmir for road-opening duties”, former DG Dilip Trivedi had also nearly shunned the use of such vehicles in the wake of Naxals targeting them.
However, the two terrorists engaged them in a gun battle that continued for three to five minutes. “This was the best possible response given the circumstances”, said a senior CRPF officer.
They said 22 CRPF men suffered injuries in the attack and had been rushed to the Base Hospital at Srinagar. Pakistani militants are continuously attacking our Jawans. While two had been killed the other two escaped. “May those injured recover soon”.
Mehbooba said the elements inimical to interests of Jammu and Kashmir have always tried to derail the peace efforts and the latest militant strike in Pampore was again aimed at “subverting the peace and development initiatives launched by the government”.
The Border Security Force lost two of its men when militants targeted their bus in Udhampur district in August past year followed by a similar assault on a CRPF contingent in Bijbehara where 5 personnel got injured.
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He also added that Indian military and Air force should be allowed to enter the areas where militants are hiding.
