CRPF jawan killed in militant attack

One CRPF jawan was killed and six, including a 10-year-old girl, injured when militants attacked their convoy on Srinagar-Jammu national highway near Pantha Chowk on Monday.

Sources said the militants resorted to firing at the civilian passenger vehicle carrying CRPF personnel called for election duty, near Sempora, Pantha Chowk on the outskirts of the city around 3.30 pm, leaving six troopers and the girl injured.

CRPF PRO Rajesh Yadav said one jawan succumbed to injuries while others are undergoing tratement at army’s 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar. The girl has been admitted to Bone and Joints Hospital in Srinagar. The CRPF personnel were on their way to Srinagar for election duty for Lok Sabha bypolls scheduled on April 9.

The attack in close vicinity of army’s 15-Corps headquarters comes just a day after one policeman was killed and 10 others were injured in a grenade attack in Nowhatta area of Srinagar’s old city.

The militants have mounted several deadly attacks on the 35-km stretch between Sempora and Bijbehara on the national highway, connecting the Valley with the rest of the country in the past two years.

On June 25 last year, Lashker-e-Toiba militants killed eight CRPF troopers and wounded nearly 20 in a lethal ambush in Pampore area of highway, just four-km away from Monday’s attack.

Counter insurgency experts say that the militants chose the place to attack as River Jhelum runs close to the national highway which helps them to leave the area soon after the attack. “Most of the times, we have analysed how they ready a boat in advance at some scheduled place on the Jehlum and cross over to disappear in the maze of villages on other side,” they said.