Massive operation launched against assailants
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 4 : Three paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were martyred, 7 others injured and a physically-challenged boy was killed in Handwara area of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district as militants attacked their patrol party this evening.
Militants attacked a patrol party of 92 battalion CRPF party at Wangam in Handwara area of Kupwara district this evening. Two CRPF men were martyred on the spot while several others suffered injuries and later one among them succumbed to the injuries on way to the hospital. Click here to watch video
The paramilitary troopers retaliated and the exchange of fire lasted only few minutes. As the police reached the spot, they found body of a boy around 400 metres from the encounter site. He was identified as Hazmi Shafi Bhat, 14, son of Mohammad Shafi Bhat, a student of 7th standard, of Khipora village.
He along with other boys in the area had gone for grazing cattle. The others fled and he could not as he was physically challenged.
Sources said that three militants carried out the attack on the CRPF patrol party and they decamped with two weapons of the martyred jawans. They fled leaving the jawans in a pool of blood.
The Public Relations Officer and Assistant Commandant of CRPF, Junaid Khan, told Excelsior that militants attacked the CRPF party at Wangam. “In the attack, three CRPF men were martyred, two of them on the spot and another on way to the hospital,” he said.
The martyred CRPF men have been identified as Constable Santosh Mishra, Constable Chandra Shekhar and Ashwani Kumar Yadav.
The CRPF PRO said that a massive operation has been launched in the area against the militants responsible for the attack and additional reinforcement of Army, SOG and CRPF were rushed to the area.
The Baramulla-Kupwara portion of the Highway in the area has been shut for traffic to prevent militants from escaping from the area.
The recently launched militant outfit, The Resistance Front has claimed responsibility for the attack.
This is the second attack on CRPF since last month in the area. On April 16, militants attacked the CRPF party in which three CRPF men were martyred.
Today’s attack on CRPF comes a day after 5 security force personnel including Commanding Officer of the Army were martyred and two militants were killed in Handwara area.
Meanwhile, a CISF jawan was also injured in a grenade attack on a security forces’ camp at Budgam. Militants hurled a grenade at the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) camp guarding a power installation at Wagoora in Budgam.
And security forces arrested a militant associate and recovered ammunition from his possession in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district today.
Police said that on a specific inputs, a joint team of 46 RR 53 BN CRPF and Special Operation Group laid a Naka near Sheeri Police Station in Baramulla district, and one militant associate was apprehended with hundred rounds of AK 47 and one grenade.
The arrested militant was identified as Umer Mushtaq Khan from Sopore, presently resident of Srinagar, brother of former militant Kaleemullah, who was killed in an encounter with security forces few years back.
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