Srinagar: At least eight CRPF soldiers were killed and 22 were injured after two Lakshkar-e-Taiba militants attacked at Pampore on Saturday. Out of 22 wounded, 3 of them are in critical position. This is the worst attack in the insurgency-hit state since three years. The CRPF troopers were returning from a target practice session when heir bus was attacked.
CRPF spokesman Bhavesh Kumar Choudhary told media both the attackers were killed in retaliatory firing. Saturday’s attack, the third assault on security forces this month, coincided with chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s victory in the Anantnag assembly by poll.
Deputy inspector general (South Kashmir) Nitish Kumar called the assault “brief but intensive”. He said it was perhaps a suicide attack as the militants chose a spot near a bridge along the Jammu-Srinagar highway from where they could not have escaped. Sources said the attack took place near a sharp curve where vehicles slow down.
Officials said the bus was carrying 24 jawans. “They were taken by surprise by two terrorists who came in a car and started firing.”