Pulwama attack over: 5 troopers, 3 militant killed

Srinagar/Pulwama: An encounter between the CRPF and suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants in South Kashmir’s Lethapora, which went on for over 24 hours, ended on Monday. Five CRPF personnel were killed and three injured in the attack. Three militants were killed in the encounter.
The slain CRPF personnel have been identified as inspector Kuldeep Roy, head constable Tufail Ahmad, and constables Sharifuddin Ganai, Rajender Jain and Pradeep Kumar Panda.
Around four heavily armed militants had stormed the 185 battalion CRPF training camp in Lethapora around 2 a.m on Sunday. The militants targeted the main building area of the camp that houses family quarters, hospitals and a signal centre. About two dozen CRPF men were inside the building when the militants stormed the camp. The Army and J&K police rushed to the area, and their first task was to evacuate the personnel.
Two militants were gunned down on Sunday while the body of the third militant was recovered on Monday, following which the security personnel ended the search operations. A 16-year-old fidayee, identified as Fardeen Khanday, was among the three militants killed in the encounter. An undated eight-minute video of the teenager was released by Pakistan’s Jaish-e-Mohammad on Monday, in which he was seen appealing to the Kashmiri youths to join the “fight against India”. Khanday, son of a Jammu and Kashmir policeman, joined militancy three months ago. The attack is purportedly in response to the recent killing of Jaish militant, Noor Mohammad Tantray and comes days after Indian security forces claimed to have killed three Pakistani soldiers in a cross-LoC attack.
Reports said that authorities had sealed the entry and exit points leading towards the native villages of two fidayeen slain militants to prevent the flow of mourners.
Police handed over the bodies of both the militants to families during late hours on Sunday. Reports said that both the militants were laid to rest at their native villages amid pro-freedom and pro-Islamic slogans. Witnesses said people rushing towards these villages in vehicles were stopped by government forces and disallowed to enter into the villages.
“The movement of the people had been curbed and yet people took different routes to participate in the last rites of these two slain militants,” said an eyewitness.
A police official wishing anonymity said that restrictions had been imposed to stop militants from entering into these villages. “We had inputs that militants may appear in crowd and to stop them, restrictions were put in place,” he added.
Earlier, a youth whom locals identified as Munir Ahmed Dar, a resident of Tahab was injured after he was hit by a bullet during clashes at Drabgam.
There were massive clashes between protesters and the government forces at Drabgam. Forces used tear-smoke shells to disperse the protesting youth who resorted to massive stone-pelting. Witnesses said that as the protesters didn’t budge, Forces fired some rounds. A youth suffered bullet injury who was shifted to Srinagar hospital for treatment.
Reports said that clashes erupted in native Tahab area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district after the news about Muneer getting injured in Drabgam village spread there.
Scores of youth hit to roads and pelted stones on 182 Battalion CRPF camp. The trooper lobbed tear-smoke shells to disperse the protesters.
Meanwhile, the twin districts of Pulwama and Shopian observed a complete shutdown against the killing of two fidayeen militants.
All the shops and business establishments remained shut and transport was seen off the roads. Shutdown was also observed in Tral town of the district.
Condemning the deadly attack, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, “It was a cowardly attack by terrorists. We are proud of our brave jawans, their sacrifice won’t go in vain. The entire nation stands with their families.”
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the act of terror. Terming it “dastardly”, the chief minister said violence had taken a heavy toll in the state in terms of death and destruction, tearing apart of the social fabric, inflicting massive economic, academic and social losses besides the irreparable loss of human lives.
United Jihad Council paid rich tributes to the fidayeen militants killed at Lehthpora CRPF training centre.In a statement to local news gathering agency CNS, the Deputy Chief of UJC, Shiekh Jameel-ur-Rehman the slain militant Manzoor Ahmed and Fardeen Ahmed has given a message to the world that there is no alternative to freedom for Kashmir.
The UJC in its yearly report has claimed that during 2017, at least 175 security personnel have been killed while 201 militants also lost their lives.
“During the year at least 17 security personnel committed suicide. The militants managed to decamp 27 assault rifles from security men as well.”
The report further claims that 93 civilians were killed and 1640 were injured. The report added that 54 residential houses were destroyed by Indian Forces during 2017.
Hurriyat Conference(G) Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani paid tributes to slain militants. In a statement issued in Srinagar on Monday Geelani said that the youth are sacrificing their precious lives for a greater cause to serve nation and we are duty bound to carry their mission to its logical conclusion”.
Blaming India’s “haughty and stubborn” approach for continuous bloodshed in state, Geelani said: “We are a peaceful nation and frequent incidents of encounters resulting into killing of our youth, is a matter of serious concern to us.”Geelani said that decades have passed since the Kashmir’s illegal occupation by India but the dispute remains unresolved and while stressing its resolution through right to self-determination, added that India and international community has accepted its disputed nature. We have sacrificed 6 lakh souls for its resolution and even now youth are laying their lives for its settlement, said Geelani. He called to safeguard these sacrifices and appealed to boycott upcoming elections.