One among injured critical; Four armed militants fired on the MBV of CRPF; area sealed, searched launched to catch attackers: DIG CRPF Kishore Panday; Lashkar-e-Toiba behind the attack: Police
SRINAGAR: Two paramilitary CRPF men were killed and two others injured, one of them critical, in a hit and run militant attack at Lawaypora area on Srinagar outskirts on Thursday, officials said.
Speaking to reporters at the site of incident, Deputy Inspector General of CRPF Srinagar sector, Kishore Panday said that at least four heavily armed militants fired on the Mobile Bunker Vehicle (MBV) of CRPF that was part of the Road Opening Party (RoP) at Lawaypora. “Two CRPF men were killed in the attack, third one is critical and four one is stable,” Panday said, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
He said that joint teams of CRPF and police have sealed the area and searches are on to nab the attackers.
The slain CRPF men have been identified as Sub Inspector/GD Manga Deb Barma and Constable Driver Ashok Kumar. The injured have been identified as Constable Jagan Nath Roy and Constable Nazim Ali. “Injured constable Jagan Nath Roy has sustained head injuries and is critical,” a CRPF official told KNO. The slain and the injured CRPF men belonged to 73 Bn E-Coy.
Talking to KNO, DIG CRPF said “security forces are after them and will catch them soon.”
“We have laid nakas and massive searches are being conducted in the area to track down the attackers,” he said.
Meanwhile, CRPF spokesman in Srinagar Om Prakash Panday ruled out the reports that militants decamped with the Ak-47 riffle, stating that “I had no such information.” Witnesses said that soon after the attack, a massive search operation was launched in the area.
A police spokesman in a statement issued to KNO said that today at about 5:45 pm, militants attacked on a CRPF vehicle at Lawaypora on national highway Srinagar. “Senior police & CAPF officers immediately reached at the terror crime spot to evacuate injured and to ascertain the facts & circumstances leading to the attack,” he said. “Preliminary investigation revealed that militants had fired indiscriminately upon a CRPF vehicle of 73Bn at Lawaypora on National Highway in which four CRPF personnel received bullet injuries. All the injured personnel were immediately evacuated to hospital for the treatment of their injuries. However, two of the injured namely SI Manga Ram Dev Barman & Ct Ashok Kumar succumbed to their injuries.”
IGP Kashmir Vijay and all ranks of Kashmir Zone Police pay rich tributes to martyrs SI/GD Manga Ram Devbarman & CT/Driver Ashok Kumar of 73Bn CRPF, who made supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. We stand by their families at this critical juncture.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that this attack was planned & carried out by the militants s affiliated with LeT outfit,” the police spokesman said.
He said that police has registered a case in this regard under relevant sections of law.
“Investigation is vigorously going on and officers continue to work to establish the full circumstances of this crime besides identifying the militants involved in the crime. Area has been cordoned and search in the area is going on to nab the militants,” the police spokesman said.