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| After BSF, voices of dissent heard from CRPF too | | J&K Govt's decision to "disarm" CRPF backfires | | Majid Ahmad
srinagar, Mar 14: The Jammu and Kashmir Government's decision to "disarm" Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel while on duty has backfired as according to reports only one among the five CRPF troops killed in Wednesday fidayeen attack in Srinagar was carrying weapon.
"Only one out of the five CRPF personnel killed in the militant attack outside their camp in Srinagar was carrying weapons. Although there was specific intelligence input about a possible attack on police camps by men in disguise," sources told Early Time Plus.
The directive to CRPF not to carry weapons came from the State Government last month after protests erupted in the Valley against the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Sources said while the CRPF had agreed to not carry arms, the BSF rejected State Government's proposal.
"Only 8,300 of the 25,000 personnel deployed in Srinagar, roughly one-third of the strength, were mandated to carry weapons," a senior CRPF officer said.
He said that the Government's directive not to carry weapons in an insurgency hit area means death warrant for them. "Last month Punjabi Taliban, which works under Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, had vowed that the next battlefield for all mujahideens will be the Kashmir valley. Under the circumstances, State Government should have ensured that the forces are adequately equipped to fight against the terrorists. But it seems Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wants to make CRPF a cannon fodder," he alleged.
The latest attack demonstrates that militants have the capacity to strike in Kashmir and the flow of militants and ammunition has not stopped at the Line of Control.
"After the attack, the Union Home Ministry said there was an intelligence alert about the entry of four militants in the area. However, there was no specific input for Srinagar. It was difficult to pre-empt any fidayeen attack and such bombers did not enter the targeted city overnight," he added.
The Jammu and Kashmir police was warned twice about the possibility of a major terror attack in the Valley less than a month after Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru was hanged in Delhi's Tihar Jail.
Police sources said the three fidayeen who attacked the camp came from Baramulla district and were received by another one who had hired a Sumo from Batmaloo area of Srinagar city to reach Narbal. "Two of the killed militants are part of the three militants who arrived from Baramulla last night", the sources added.
Police are clueless about the night stay of the four militants after the four met at Narbal. Police sources suspected that the militant who brought the two militants from Baramulla could have been Hilal Molvi, a top commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba operating in Baramulla district while the militant who received them at Narbal could have been divisional commander of LeT, Fahadullah who had arrived in Srinagar a day before.
Wednesday's attack has revived fears that militancy may return to the Valley following Guru's hanging. |
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