New Delhi, Jan 1: In what could be a cause of worry for security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, reports have revealed that one of the attackers, who targeted a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) training camp in Pulwama in December 31, was a class 10 student. Identified as 16-year-old Fardeen Ahmad Khanday, son of Jammu and Kashmir Police constable Ghulam Mohammad Khandey, was killed in retaliatory action by security forces.
Fardeen reportedly recorded a video in which he talked about the terror plot to target the CRPF camp. The video has now gone viral. “God willing, when this message reaches you, I will already be a guest of my Lord in his heaven,” Fardeen is heard saying in beginning of the eight-minute video.
At least three heavily armed terrorists stormed into CRPF camp early on Sunday. Fardeen and another terrorist Manzoor Baba Drubgam were killed while security forces continue to comb the area to hunt down the third one. Pakistan-based banned terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has claimed responsibility for the attack in which five CRPF jawans were martyred.
A CRPF officials said the ‘heavily armed militants stormed the camp at about 2 am. They were armed with under-barrel grenade launchers and automatic weapons. They were challenged by camp sentries.’
Pulwama Encounter
(Image:ANI)Director General of Police S P Vaid said security forces had inputs about an impending militant strike in the Kashmir Valley for the past three days. (Also Read: Pakistan stands exposed after Pulwama encounter, says J&K Deputy CM Nirmal Singh)
Terming the attack as ‘unfortunate’, Vaid said as long as Pakistan keeps sending terrorists, security forces and people of Kashmir will continue to go through this.
“There was an input from the last two-three days.They (terrorists) were trying. They probably could not get a place and time earlier. So, they struck last night,” Vaid told reporters.
The CRPF camp also serves as training centre for troops inducted for counter-militancy operations in Kashmir Valley.
According to reports, Fardeen was a resident of Tral, the hometown of Hizbul Mujahideen poster boy Burhan Wani who was killed in an encounter in July, 2016. Despite over 200 terrorists being killed in encounters across the Valley in 2017, the trend of teenagers joining terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen is posing a big challenge to the security forces.