SRINAGAR: The 36-hour long encounter between Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide squad and security forces inside a paramilitary CRPF camp at Lethpora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district ended on Monday with the killing of the third Jaish militant.
With his killing, the death toll of people killed in the gunfight rose to 8. Among the dead include five CRPF men and three Jaish militants.
“The encounter in 185th bn CRPF camp at Lethpora, Pulwama, which started in the early hours yesterday after three heavily armed militants stormed the camp, ended today,” Special DG CRPF S N Srivastava told reporters here.
He said the operation to flush out one of the militant, who was holed up in a concrete building inside the camp, continued throughout the night.
“The darkness impeded the operation. The security personnel launched final assault on the militant position in the early hours today and in the ensuing firefight, the third militant was killed,” said Srivastava.
The slain militant is a foreigner.
The Special DG CRPF said no fresh casualties or injuries were suffered by security forces during the operation today.
Two local militants and five CRPF men including an officer were killed and three paramilitary personnel injured in the gunfight yesterday.
All the three slain militants belonged to militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad, which has also owned responsibility of the attack.
Srivastava said the combing operation in the camp is going on.
“The security personnel are conducting search operation to be doubly sure that no other militant is hiding in the campus, which is spread over 160 acres of land and has many concrete buildings,” he said.
One of the slain local militant has been identified as 16-yr-old Fardeen Ahmad Khanday son of a local serving policeman.
A video of his urging Kashmiri youth to join the militancy has gone viral on social media today.
“By the time this video reaches you, I will be a guest in heaven,” Fardeen says in the 8-minute video in which he is seated between three assault rifles and grenades and communication devices.
Calling Islam a complete way of life, he said, “Jihad is also mandatory for a Muslim”.
He mentioned Babri Masjid and talks about the Fidayeen attacks at Uri, Pathankot, Nagrota, District Police Lines Pulwama, Srinagar Airport and claims that “Jaish-e-Muhammad was impossible to be stopped”.
To a question on 16-yr-old militant, Special DG CRPF said security forces would eradicate militancy in the State.
He also admitted that security forces had inputs that militants may launch attack on security camps.
“We had upgraded the security in Lethpora camp. The night on which attack took place entire campus was on high alert. The men and officer were patrolling and incharge of the battalion stationed there was also conducting patrolling. After militants managed to gain entry, they were challenged by the CRPF men. It was because of alertness and professionalism of jawans that they (militants) were restricted to two buildings,” he said.
Asked whether the security of the camps would be increased after the fidayeen attack, Srivastava said, “Security review is an ongoing process. We always upgrade the security of camps.”
“We keep upgrading the security of camps based on situation and inputs,” he added.