CRPF Director General (DG) RR Bhatnagar met Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and briefed him about the terror attack in Anantnag, Jammu & Kashmir on Thursday, 13 June, in which five CRPF personnel lost their lives.
A wreath laying ceremony was performed for the five CRPF personnel who lost their lives in the Anantnag militant attack on a police party in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday morning, 13 June.
Five CRPF jawans were killed and three others were injured in a militant attack in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Wednesday, 12 June, news agency ANI reported. The militants attacked a police party at the busy KP road.
The dead include ASI Ramesh Kumar from Haryana's Jhajjar, ASI Nirod Sarma from Assam's Nalbari, Constable Satendra Kumar from UP's Muzaffarnagar, Constable Mahesh Kr Kushwaha from UP's Gazipur and Constable Sandeep Yadav from MP's Dewas.
The three injured personnel – Head Constable Rajender Ingle, Constable Premchand Kaushik and Constable Kedarnath Ojha – were evacuated to 92 Base hospital, and are undergoing treatment there.
Anantnag Police Station’s Station House Officer Arshad Ahmed was also injured in the attack, and has been shifted to Srinagar for treatment, officials told PTI.
Officials said at least two militants attacked the patrol party of the CRPF with automatic rifles and grenades.
The incident took place in the afternoon when motorcycle-borne terrorists fired at a CRPF patrol party at Khanabal-Pahalgham stretch, famously known as KP Road, killing one personnel on the spot and wounding few others, PTI reported.
A joint team of the CRPF's 116th battalion and state police were deployed for a picket duty in the area when the attack took place.
One militant was killed by the security forces during the attack. An AK series assault rifle was recovered from him, officials said.
"The terrorist was gunned down on the spot. Five CRPF personnel attained martyrdom while repulsing the attack. The area has been cordoned and search is underway," ANI quoted J&K Police as saying on Wednesday.
J&K Police Had Shared Intel About Possible Terror Strike
The attacks comes less than three weeks before the commencement of the annual Amarnath Yatra to the cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.
Jammu and Kashmir Police had shared an intelligence input about a possible terror strike on security forces around the general bus stand located on KP road, according to PTI.
Al-Umar Mujahideen, a defunct terror group, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Officials, however, reportedly said that it was a handiwork of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group.
Pilgrims travelling to the cave shrine have to pass through the stretch of the road where Wednesday's attack took place.
The yatra is scheduled to begin on 1 July and culminate on 15 August.
Govt, Intel Agencies Must Take Action to Prevent Attacks in Future: Cong
The Congress on Thursday urged the Modi government and intelligence agencies to take suitable action to prevent terror attacks in the future, a day after five CRPF personnel were killed in a terrorist strike in south Kashmir.
Two motorcycle-borne terrorists, believed to be from the Jaish-e-Mohammed group, fired at a CRPF patrol party on the Khanabal-Pahalgham road in Anantnag district, killing five personnel from the paramilitary force and injuring three others on Wednesday.
"Disturbing to learn that 5 brave CRPF Jawans have been martyred and 4 Jawans injured in a terror attack in Anantnag. My salutations to the valour of our jawans. Government and intelligence agencies must take suitable action so that attacks be curtailed in future," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted.
Financial Assistance of Rs 25 Lakh to Kin of Martyred Jawans: UP Govt
The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday announced financial assistance for the kin of two CRPF jawans, Satendra Kumar from Shamli and Mahesh Kushwaha from Ghazipur, who were among the five CRPF jawans killed in the attack.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also paid tributes to Kumar and Kushwaha.
“The UP chief minister has announced financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh to each of the families of the (two) martyred jawans. In their memory, a road will be named in their native districts,” a statement said.
Additionally, Adityanath announced a government job for one family member each of the two jawans. He also said that “their deaths will not be allowed to go in vain”.
UP minister Suresh Rana will attend the last rites of Kumar, while another minister, Neelkanth Tiwari, will attend the last rites of Kushwaha.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)