SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday disclosed that new strategy will be devised to deal with the spurt in militant attacks in the Valley while Saturday’s deadly militant attack on CRPF bus in Pampore area on Srinagar-Jammu national highway in which eight CRPF men were killed has been captured in video.
“The spurt in militant attacks is a cause of concern for the government. We are taking review of the security situation to prevent such attacks in future,” Education minister and government spokesman Naeem Akhtar told J&K Legislative Council after ruling BJP members raised uproar over the deadly militant attack on CRPF convoy at Pampore area.
Eight CRPF men were killed and 20 others injured when two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants on Saturday attacked their bus, which was part of a security convoy, at Pampore area in outskirts of Srinagar.
The minister said militants have adopted new strategy to target security establishments. “Recently a BSF convoy was attacked in Anantnag and in recent instance a CRPF convoy was attacked in Pampore area. It is a cause of concern for us”.
Akhtar said a strategy is being devised to respond to new tactics adopted by the militants.
Stating that the attack is a condemnable act, he said everyone including Prime Minister, Union Ministers, and State Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister have condemned it.
He said the next of kins of the jawans, who lost their lives and those who got injured in the attack would get compensation as per norms.
Declare Pak terrorist State, launch airstrikes on militant camps: BJP
After the end of Question Hour in the House, BJP MLC Surinder Ambardar raised the issue and said it is every unfortunate that State government is silent on this act of Pakistan.
He demanded that the government must declare Pakistan a “terrorist state”. “We should adopt a resolution to declare Pakistan a terrorist state”.
Another BJP MLC Ramesh Arora said that if government can’t provide land to soldiers, it must at least express sympathies towards, those who sacrificed their lives for protection of people and country.
The issue was also raised in Legislative Assembly, where BJP MLA Ravinder Raina chanted anti-Pakistan slogans and demanded befitting reply to the neighboring country.
“Pakistani militants are killing our Jawans. This cannot be tolerated anymore,” he said adding Indian army should be allowed to carry out air strikes on militant camps in Pakistan with the help of IAF.
He said by doing this, Pakistan won’t even think of launching such attacks.
Video of Pampore attack
A video has emerged on social media about the deadly militant attack on CRPF convoy in Pampore area.
The amateur video shows the CRPF bus, which came under the militant attack on Srinagar-Jammu national highway on Saturday. In the video, a militant standing in front of the bus is firing indiscriminately on the CRPF vehicle.
The militant loads and unloads the gun without any retaliation from inside the bus in which about 40 CRPF men were travelling.
Eight CRPF men were killed and 20 others injured, some of them critically, in one of the deadliest militant attack in the Valley since 2013.
Both the attackers were later killed in an encounter with Road Opening Party (ROP) of the CRPF.
Lashkar-e-Toiba has claimed responsibility of the attack and said both of its Fidayeen were killed in the encounter