A Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) spokesman, Abdullah Ghaznavi, claimed responsibility of Saturday’s attack on a CRPF bus on the Srinagar-Jammu highway in which eight jawans and two militants were killed, saying it was a fidayeen (suicide attack). “Our two suicide attackers were also killed,” he said. In a separate statement earlier in the day, the Lashkar threatened to carry out more attacks in the Valley.
PM condoles
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish at the death of the CRPF personnel. “I salute the courage of the CRPF personnel martyred today in J&K. They served the nation with utmost dedication. Pained by their demise,” he tweeted.
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Speaking to The Hindu, DG CRPF K. Durga Prasad said the killed two militants were part of a suicide squad. "They first fired at the tyres of the bus, which was carrying 40 CRPF personnel, and subsequently fired at the bus from close range, killing eight jawans. A road opening party, which was behind, retaliated and eliminated them,” said Mr. Prasad.
He added that the two militants had two AK-47 rifles, 11 magazines and 130 rounds of ammunition on them. The CRPF has identified the slain jawans as Sub-inspectors Jaichandran (Thiruvananthapuram) and Sanjay Kumar (Jaunpur, U.P.) Head Constables Vir Singh (Shikohabad, U.P.) and Jagtar Singh (Ropar, Punjab) and Constables Satish (Meerut, U.P.), Kailash K. Yadav (Unnao, UP), Santosh S. (Aurangabad, U.P.) and Rajesh (Allahabad).
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also spoke to Mr. Prasad, who has been asked to rush to Pampore on Sunday.
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In a tweet, Mr. Singh said, “My heart goes out to the families of the CRPF men who lost their lives in Pampore. I also pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.”
Two militants killed
Two more militants were killed in an ongoing operation near the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector in Baramulla district on Saturday afternoon. According to Army sources, soldiers spotted militants in the Lachipora forest area of Uri and were intercepted.
In the ensuing gunfight, the Army claimed to have killed two militants.
(With inputs from PTI)