FIDAYEEN ATTACK IN SRINAGAR AFTER THREE YEARS

5 CRPF Personnel, 2 Militants and 1 Civilian Killed

Srinagar, Mar 13 (Only Kashmir): In a deadly Fidayeen attack in the outskirts of Srinagar’s Bemina area, militants shot dead five CRPF personnel and wounding seven others. Three civilians were also injured in the encounter. It is considered as the major Fidayeen attack as for the first time the security persons suffered too many casualties.

According to reports, due to strike call given by MMM, a large number of boys had assembled at Police Public School ground to play cricket. “Three boys approached towards CRPF personnel. They were all wearing kits. Our men thought that they are cricketers along with sports kit. Suddenly they opened indiscriminate firing on CRPF personnel who were sitting beside the camp. Our men exercised maximum restraint to avoid civilian causalities. Our men shot dead two militants while probably one managed to escape. Unfortunately, five of our jawans were killed in the attack while seven including three civilians were injured,” Inspector General CRPF, V.S Yadav told CNS.

CRPF, Police and Special Operation Group personnel cordoned the area to flush out the militants. However, the militants continuously fired upon the troopers and in the ensuing battle, both of the militants were shot dead by the troopers whose identity was not immediately confirmed. “Both the militants seem to be teenagers and at this point of time we could not ascertain their identity,” a police official said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah describing the assault as a "suicide attack", said three civilians were also wounded. “Militants attacked a CRPF camp in Bemina area in which five of our security personnel have died while two militants have also been killed in the attack,” Omar Abdullah informed the members in the House in Jammu soon after the attack.

HIZB-UL-MUJAHIDEEN CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY

Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Claims the responsibility of Bemina Encounter, in which Seven people were killed including Five CRPF Men anf Two Fidayeen. Meanwhile Hizb threatened for more attacks near in future. 

CIVILIAN KILLED ALLEGEDLY AS REVENGE

Hours after the encounter ends, a father of three daughters was killed in Zoonimar area of Srinagar on Wednesday when CRPF fired upon him from a close range. Inspector General CRPF, V.S Yadav said that our men were on way to SKIMS to donate blood to their colleagues who had been critically injured in Bemina shoot out. “As the party reached at Saidapora, people surrounded it and pelted stones on the men. To save themselves from the wrath of the people, our men were compelled to resort to firing,” he said.

The locals said that youth were playing cricket on the road when a CRPF party in three vehicles came rushing and without any reason fired on youth.

INCIDENT WIDELY CONDEMNED

The state Government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in a statement to Only Kashmir has taken a strong note of the incident at Zoonimar in which a civilian Altaf Ahmad Wani was killed. DGP who is camping in Srinagar will be making detailed enquiry into the happenings today. The Chief Minister has reiterated that violence has no place in a civilized society. He has advised all the agencies to exercise maximum restraint in dealing with the current situation of Kashmir. Meanwhile in a separate press releases the resistance leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Syed Ali Geelani, Yasin Malik, Jameel Ahmad War, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Shabir Ahmad Shah and many others have expresses grief sorrow over the brutal killing of Altaf Ahmad Wani. (OK)

Posted by: Only Kashmir with some inputs from CNS