A day after three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists were killed in a nine-hour gunfight in the high-security BSF camp in Srinagar , the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Border Security Force (BSF) sparred for credit. While the BSF claimed it killed the three terrorists, the CRPF said it gunned down one of them.
BSF Director-General K.K. Sharma told reporters in Srinagar that the BSF’s response to the “fidayeen attack” was highly professional. “The militants were spotted as soon as they entered the camp and were challenged by the sentry staff and neutralised without any collateral damage,” Mr. Sharma said. He said two militants were wearing camouflage uniforms similar to that worn by CRPF personnel.
Mr. Sharma said the third militant was in a pathan suit.
He was the last to be killed and had taken cover in the administrative building.
Asked about claims that he was killed by a CRPF team, Mr. Sharma said: “The things narrated to me is that when he came out [of the administrative building], he threw a grenade and that’s when he was identified and killed as he was wearing a CRPF uniform. It’s for you to see and draw your own conclusions.”
The CRPF said in a statement that the third terrorist was hiding in the double-storey building.
“After several warnings, when the terrorists did not surrender, the troops fired rocket launchers to storm the building. L. Ibomcha, assistant commandant, entered the building, along with his troops, and neutralised the third militant,” the statement said.
A Home Ministry spokesperson said it was a joint operation by BSF, CRPF and J&K police and “took place with equal efforts from all sides.”
