Five Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and two militants were killed on Wednesday on the outskirts of the state capital, in the first major attack in the city in the past three years.
At least 12 persons, including seven paramilitary troopers, were injured in the ghastly attack on a CRPF bunker near the Police Public School in Bemina area of uptown Srinagar.
Due to the shutdown call given by a separatist group, a large number of boys had assembled at the Police Public School ground to play cricket. “Three boys carrying kit bags suddenly opened fire on CRPF personnel who were sitting beside the camp. Our men shot dead two militants, while probably one managed to escape,” said V S Yadav, Inspector General, CRPF.
Boys playing in the ground fled from the scene and some of them received injuries. Panic gripped the area amid continuous gunfire. The CRPF, police and Special Operation Group personnel cordoned off the area to flush out the militants. However, the militants continuously fired upon the troopers and in the ensuing battle, two militants were shot dead.
While Home Secretary R K Singh said that initial inputs suggested both the gunmen were from Pakistan, there was no confirmation. “Both the militants seem to be teenagers and at this point we could not ascertain their identity,” a police officer said. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, describing the assault as a “suicide attack”, said three civilians were also wounded. Police said the attack began at 10.20 am.
The attack has raised questions over the security preparedness in the valley more so when Srinagar has been declared militant-free.
As the situation was getting tense in Srinagar, the killing of a man in Zoonimar area of the city in CRPF firing led to sporadic protests in the Old City area.
A father of three daughters was killed in Zoonimar area when the CRPF allegedly opened fired on him. The CRPF claimed that it opened fire for protection as hundreds of people surrounded the CRPF vehicle at Saidapora and resorted to stone pelting.