The attack took place at 4.00 am and exchange of firing was going on between the militants and security forces, they said. ANI Photo
In a pre-dawn attack, fidayeen (suicide) militants attacked a Border Security Force (BSF) camp near the Srinagar International Airport leading to a fierce gunfight in which three attackers and a paramilitary officer were killed and three others injured.
Sources said three heavily-armed fidayeen, believed to be foreign mercenaries, stormed 182 BSF headquarters at Humhama, located outside the main gate of the airport at around 4.15 am and entered into the camp through a damaged perimeter wall. The militants positioned themselves inside barracks of the BSF and there was heavy exchange of gunfire between the two sides. Residents of the area said that they heard dozens of loud explosions which rattled entire Humaham and its adjoining neighbourhoods.
After forcing their way into the area, the militants kept firing in which one BSF assistant sub-inspector (ASI) was killed and three troopers wounded, police said.
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Muneer Khan said that the encounter ended with the killing of all three Jaish militants. Addressing a hurridely called press conference outside the encounter site, Khan said that 16 to 17 Jaish militants had been sent by Pakistan specifically to carry out fidayeen attacks in Kashmir.
"We have killed 10 out of these militants but still six to seven are at large. Jaish is a threat as they believe in surprise fidayeen attacks and we will have to deal with them separately," he said, adding such attacks will continue to happen as long as Pakistan is our neighbour.
The IGP said only one flight was delayed from New Delhi due to the attac. "We wanted to make sure no terrorist sneaked into the airport as the operation started when it was pitch dark. "The operation could have ended quicker if aerial weapons were used, however, due to the presence of civilians it was avoided," he said.
Khan revealed that the police had identified the overground worker (OGW) of Jaish, who provided shelter and brought the fidayeen close to the BSF camp. “We have identified the OGW, who is himself also a militant. He brought the militants here and we are now acting against him,” he said.
Sources said the camp was targeted to inflict high casualties on security forces as it is situated in a high security area and close to the airport. They said that security agencies were ascertaining as to how the armed fidayeen breached multiple layer security to sneak into the camp close to Srinagar Airport, which is a highly fortified zone.
Adjacent to the camp is the old Srinagar airfield which is been run by the Indian Air Force. The area also houses training centres of the BSF and CRPF. Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit claimed the responsibility for the attack, which comes a little over a month after an identical incident on police lines in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on August 26 in which eight security personnel were killed.