SRINAGAR: The police and paramilitary personnel foiled a fidayeen attack of militants on a CRPF camp in Sumbal area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday by killing all the four heavily-armed attackers.
IG CRPF Ravideep Sahi told New Indian Express that at around 4 am, a heavily armed group of militants attacked camp of CRPF 45 battalion at Sumbal in Bandipora district, about 34 kms north of Srinagar.
He said four militants armed with AK-47 rifles, grenades and incendiary substance attacked the main entrance of the camp with the intention of barging inside the camp to inflict casualties among the security personnel.
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The attackers, he said, were confronted by the CRPF men, triggering an encounter.
“In the meanwhile, reinforcement from Jammu and Kashmir police also reached the area and assisted the CRPF men in battling the militants,” the IG said.
The exchange of fire between the militants and security personnel continued for about an hour.
The IG CRPF said in the ensuing gunfight, all the four attackers were killed before they could sneak into the camp.
He said the security men did not suffer any casualties or injuries during the operation. “It was a clean operation”.
4 AK rifles, 12 AK magazines, 140 AK rounds, 7 UBGL grenades, 9 hand grenades, incendiary substance and small petrol cans were recovered from the encounter site.
“The slain militants appear to be foreigners and their identity and outfit was being ascertained,” Sahi said.
He said recovery of small petrol cans from possession of militants indicate that they wanted to storm the camp and set it on fire to create chaos and inflict casualties among the security personnel.
Asked whether there was any input that militants may launch fidayeen attack, IG CRPF said, “We had intelligence inputs that militants may target security camps. We had beefed up security and put our men on high alert and the vigilant CRPF men successfully foiled the fidayeen attack today”.
He complimented his men for successfully foiling the fidayeen attack.
The CRPF men involved in today’s operation would be suitably rewarded, the IG CRPF said.
After the end of encounter, the local youth took to roads to protest the killing of militants.
Chanting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans, the protesting youth pelted stones on police station Sumbal. The cops fired tear smoke shells to disperse them and the clashes between the two sides continued for some time.
After the clashes, mobile and internet services were suspended in Bandipora.
The Sumbal area, where the gunfight took place, observed complete shutdown against militant killings.
Pertinent to mention here that 45 bn CRPF camp was headed by commandant Chetan Kumar Cheeta, who narrowly survived an encounter with militants in Bandipora in February this year. Cheeta was hit by nine bullets during the encounter and remained hospitalized for over two months.