5 CRPF men die in Pulwama attack

Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, December 31

On New Year Eve, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants struck at a CRPF installation inside the Jammu and Kashmir Police Commando Training Centre (CTC) complex in Lethpora area of Pulwama district, 23 km south of Srinagar, in the wee hours today. Five CRPF personnel were killed and three injured in the fidayeen (suicide) attack. 

Two militants — Manzoor Ahmad Baba of Drubgam in Pulwama and Fardeen Ahmad Khandey of Nazeen Pora, Tral — were killed too. Fardeen Khandey, the teenage son of a police constable, was a Class X passout.

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CRPF spokesperson Rajesh Yadav, said: “We have four combat fatalities while one of our men died of a cardiac arrest during evacuation.” The injured personnel, being treated at the Army’s base hospital in Srinagar, are reported to be out of danger. 

The militants stormed the camp at 2:05 am, Inspector-General (IG) Ravideep Sahi told The Tribune. He said the militants lobbed grenades and resorted to heavy firing while making their way inside the camp. They were challenged by the sentries on duty. “We suspect two or more militants may be still holed up. There are no hostages,” he added.

SP Vaid, Director General of Police, called the attack “unfortunate” as it occurred despite prior Intelligence inputs.

It may be recalled that militants had entered the District Police Lines in Pulwama in the wee hours of August 26. In the gunbattle, 10 persons — four policemen, four CRPF personnel and two militants — were killed. Again on October 3, militants had stormed a BSF base at the Srinagar airport, killing a BSF official and leaving three injured.

Laid down lives...

• Sharief-ud-din Ganaie (185 Bn) of Chadoora, Budgam, J-K
• Kuldip Roy (185 Bn) from Tikkar Khatrian, Hamirpur, HP
• Taufail Ahmed (185 Bn) from Dadasini Bala, Rajouri, J-K
• Rajendra Nain (130 Bn) from Gorisar, Churu, Rajasthan
• Pradeep K Panda (132 Bn) from Sundargarh in Odisha
• Injured: Narendra Kumar, Malam Samadhan, Mala Ram