2 CRPF men, cop killed in Fidayeen attack in Pulwama

Two CRPF troopers, a Jammu and Kashmir policeman and a militant were killed in a gunfight after a group of militants attacked the district police lines in south Kashmir’s Pulwama early Saturday. Several security personnel were wounded too.

The Union home ministry said two special police officers (SPOs) were trapped in the building which was stormed by the militants.

A CRPF spokesperson in Srinagar said head constable Ravindra Baban Dhanawade of Maharashtra and constable Jaswant Singh of Haryana died from wounds and a militant was gunned down.

Sources said three militants stormed the facility in Pulwama, almost 30km from Srinagar.

A wreath-laying ceremony for the CRPF men was held at the Recruit Training Centre at Humhama in Srinagar.

JS Sandhu, General officer Commanding (GoC) of the Chinar Corps, told reporters that the militants entered the family quarters in DPL Pulwama early in the morning, and all the families were evacuated as the operation Srinagar Pulwama continued.

A police spokesperson too said all families were evacuated from the quarters and there was “no hostage situation”.

Jammu and Kashmir Police sources said the dead policeman belonged to Qazigund area of south Kashmir.

Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for the attack.

Hasan Shah, the spokesperson of the militant outfit, told news agency CNS over phone that the militants stormed into CRPF camp stationed at District Police Lines (DPL) Pulwama and inflicted casualties upon the armed forces.

“The armed forces suffered massive damage while militants present there are giving a tough time to the Indian troops,” he said.

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