Srinagar: How BSF, CRPF, J-K police foiled daring JeM suicide attack on camp

Three Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists attempted storming a BSF camp in Srinagar in suicide attack that is being compared to the 2016 strike at the Pathankot airbase in Punjab.

Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu  | Edited by Dev Goswami
New Delhi, October 3, 2017 | UPDATED 20:34 IST
Security forces take positions during the attack on a BSF camp in Srinagar. REUTERS/Danish IsmailSecurity forces take positions during the attack on a BSF camp in Srinagar. REUTERS/Danish Ismail

Highlights

  • 1
    Terrorists storm BSF camp in Kashmir at 4:10 am.
  • 2
    One terrorist killed during initial attack, other two neutralised in an hours-long operation.
  • 3
    Op conducted by BSF, CRPF and J&K Police.

In an audacious attack reminiscent of last year's raid on the Pathankot airbase in Punjab, three terrorists today attempted storming into a Border Security Force base in Srinagar.

All three militants, who were on a suicide mission and were disguised in CRPF uniform, were neutralised in a joint operation of the Central Reserve Police Force, the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the BSF before they could cause significant casualities.

One BSF trooper was killed in the attack, while three other jawans were injured. The toll, however, could have been much higher if the terrorists, who were from the Jaish-e-Mohammed group, had not be eliminated so quickly.

One of the three Jaish terrorists was killed minutes after the three attempted laying siege to the headquarters of the BSF's 182 battalion in Humhama, Srinagar.

At around 4:10 am today, the three terrorists targeted the BSF camp with indiscriminate automatic gunfire and grenades. Three BSF jawans were injured while an assistant sub-inspector of the force was killed in this initial volley of gunfire and grenades.

The initial attack also allowed to three militants to enter the BSF camp.

As the three terrorists entered the camp, alert BSF sentries managed to gun gunned down one of the Jaish men, forcing the other two to hide in nearby buildings.

Undeterred, the two surviving militants launched a fresh attack, firing at the BSF camp. In the mean time, a Quick Action Teams of the Central Reserve Police Force, headed by an inspector general-level officer, arrived at the scene of the attack.

Considering the vastness of the BSF camp in Srinagar, senior officers decided to launch an operation that included men from the BSF, the CRPF and the J&K Police.

A joint team of the BSF, the CRPF and the J-K police were involved in the operation (REUTERS/Danish Ismail)

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The teams, led by the CRPF, cordoned off all buildings and fanned out in search for the terrorists, conducting room-to-room intervention.

One of the teams located one of the terrorists, who was hiding behind the BSF camp's mess. The terrorist was eliminated on the spot.

The third Jaish man was cornered inside a two-storey building. Security forces initially asked the militant to surrender. But the man refused to raise the proverbial white flag, leading to the troops firing a missile at the building in order to create room to enter the structure.

A team led by a CRPF officer entered the building and shot down the third terrorist, bringing to an end an hours-long operation that averted significant casualties.

The attack took place near the high-security Srinagar airport, causing flight operations to be suspended for the duration of the operation. Authorities later revealed that three Jaish terrorists were on a suicide mission.

(With inputs from agencies)