Three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured, one of them critically, when gunmen opened fire at a security checkpoint in Kulgam district of south Kashmir on Wednesday afternoon.
The attack took place around 2.15 pm at Nowpora Akhran, near Mir Bazar, barely a kilometre from the busy Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The checkpoint was manned by personnel of the CRPF’s 46th Battalion.
What happened at the checkpoint
According to the CRPF, the assailants fired at the personnel deployed at the naka (checkpoint) before fleeing the spot. Police said the attackers used AK-47 rifles to open indiscriminate fire. CCTV footage from the area captured the intensity of the firing, with nearly 30 rounds fired in the first 15 seconds, followed by another dozen shots within the next minute.
Accounts differ on how the attackers reached the spot. Some reports say they came on motorcycles, while police sources quoted by The Indian Express said they approached on foot from a marshy patch about 50 metres away and slipped back into the tree line after the firing.
The injured personnel have been identified as Head Constable Somveer Singh and Constables Rakesh Dass and Santosh Chandru. Somveer Singh sustained an injury to his arm, Rakesh Dass was hit in the leg, and Santosh Chandru suffered bullet wounds to his abdomen and spine. He is in a critical condition and was reported to be undergoing surgery.
All three were first rushed to the Government Medical College in Anantnag. Santosh Chandru was later shifted to the Army’s 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar for specialised treatment.
Search operation under way
Security forces cordoned off the area around Akhran soon after the attack and launched a search operation to track down the attackers. Teams are combing the orchards and marshy patches near the checkpoint.
At least three suspected overground workers of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) are being questioned, with investigators examining whether they provided logistical help, reconnaissance or shelter to the attackers. A preliminary probe suggests at least three terrorists were involved in the attack, and two of them seem to be foreign nationals, a Jammu and Kashmir Police officer said.
Police also suspect the involvement of local militant Lateef Ahmad Bhat, who was blamed for both the terror attacks in the region in July this year. A mobile phone and a SIM card were recovered from the area. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
Third attack in Jammu and Kashmir since July
Wednesday’s attack was the third terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir since July, and the second targeting security personnel. On July 31, two brick kiln workers from Chhattisgarh were killed in Killam village, about five kilometres from Wednesday’s attack site. Police sources said the cartridges found at Wednesday’s site matched those recovered from Killam.
Earlier, on July 22, a Jammu and Kashmir Police head constable, Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, was gunned down in Anantnag town in an attack that was captured on camera.
The attack happened on a day when Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha was in Kulgam to inaugurate a festival at the Government Degree College, about 16 kilometres from the attack site. Security had been stepped up in the district for the visit.
There are concerns that even as local recruitment into terror organisations has declined, small groups of foreign terrorists, helped by local support networks, retain the capacity to carry out targeted attacks. A senior officer said around 20 to 25 foreign terrorists are in Kashmir at the moment, largely from the LeT.
Security agencies had received general intelligence inputs about the possibility of a shoot-and-scoot attack around Diwali, following which forces across Jammu and Kashmir had been alerted. The period before winter is considered particularly vulnerable, as militants hiding in the higher reaches of the Pir Panjal mountains typically move to lower elevations before snowfall makes movement difficult.
What happens next
The search operation in and around Akhran continues, and the condition of the critically injured jawan is being closely watched at the Army hospital in Srinagar. Officials say the attack appears to be part of an attempt by Pakistan-based terror groups to reactivate their networks in Kashmir despite sustained counter-terrorism operations.
FAQs
Where did the Kulgam attack take place?
At a CRPF checkpoint in Nowpora Akhran, near Mir Bazar, in Kulgam district of south Kashmir, about a kilometre from the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
How many CRPF personnel were injured in the attack?
Three. Head Constable Somveer Singh and Constables Rakesh Dass and Santosh Chandru were injured. Santosh Chandru, who suffered wounds to his abdomen and spine, is in a critical condition.
Who is suspected to be behind the Kulgam attack?
Investigators are examining the possible role of a Lashkar-e-Taiba module operating in south Kashmir, and police suspect local militant Lateef Ahmad Bhat was involved. No group has claimed responsibility so far.
Is this the first terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in recent months?
No. It is the third terror attack in the Union Territory since July, and the second targeting security personnel.
What is the latest on the search operation?
Security forces have cordoned off the area around Akhran and launched a search operation. At least three suspected overground workers of the LeT are being questioned.
Informeia will update this story as more details come in from the security forces.
