Kulgam CRPF attack: three jawans injured as militants fire at checkpost, hunt on for two attackers
Security agencies suspect a local Lashkar-e-Taiba commander, but officials have not confirmed who the two attackers were.
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The Kulgam CRPF attack left three Central Reserve Police Force personnel injured on Wednesday afternoon, after two assailants fired on a checkpost near Mir Bazar in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, Kashmir Reader reported. The attackers fled into a forested area. Security forces have launched a hunt for them.
What happened in the Kulgam CRPF attack
The attack took place around 2.15 pm, about 75 km from Srinagar, according to Kashmir Reader. The force told ANI that the assailants opened fire on personnel deployed at the checkpost. The injured were identified as Head Constable Somveer Singh and Constables Rakesh Dass and Santosh Chandru. Chandru, a resident of West Bengal, sustained injuries to his abdomen and spine.
The wounded were rushed to a hospital in neighbouring Anantnag district, about 22 km from the site. Multi-agency operations began to apprehend the attackers, ANI said.
Key numbers
- 3: CRPF personnel injured in the attack, per ANI.
- 2: assailants who disappeared into the forested area after the firing, per Kashmir Reader.
- 2.15 pm: approximate time of the attack on Wednesday 11 November, per Kashmir Reader.
- 22 km: distance of the Anantnag hospital from the site, per Kashmir Reader.
- 31 July: the day two labourers from Chhattisgarh were killed at a brick kiln in Kulgam, per Kashmir Reader.
Lashkar-e-Taiba link suspected by security agencies
Security agencies suspect the involvement of Mohammed Lateef Bhat, an alleged local commander of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba who had escaped a security operation in Shopian in July, according to Kashmir Reader and The Week. Official confirmation of the attackers’ identities is awaited.
Kulgam has seen other violence recently. Two labourers from Chhattisgarh were killed at a brick kiln on 31 July, and a police constable was shot in neighbouring Anantnag earlier that month.
Reactions to the Kulgam terror attack
Former chief minister Farooq Abdullah prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured jawans and criticised the Lieutenant Governor’s administration over the security situation. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti condemned the attack. Health Minister Sakeena also condemned it and called for stronger security measures, The Week reported.
Defence expert Hemant Mahajan told ANI: “I have no doubt in my mind that in the next one to two weeks, they will be tracked down and killed.”
What happens next after the Kulgam CRPF attack
Security forces have cordoned off the area and the search continues. The Week said forces have stepped up surveillance across Jammu and Kashmir, especially along National Highway-44, the Jammu-Srinagar highway. Identification of the two attackers is still awaited.
Security questions also drew attention this week when India rejected a US court order in the Pannun lawsuit, as our report on the Pannun lawsuit against NSA Doval showed. For wider coverage, see our India page.
A fresh attack on a security post in south Kashmir comes after the July killings in Kulgam and Anantnag, so forces on the Jammu-Srinagar highway are on alert. The identity of the attackers and the condition of the injured jawans are the next developments to watch.