In yet another attack, militants on Monday fired upon CRPF men who were boarding a vehicle at Pantha Chowk area on city outskirts, causing injuries to six personnel and two civilians. One of the injured CRPF men later succumbed.An officer of CRPF said that the paramilitary personnel were coming from Jammu to Srinagar in TATA 407 and other public transport buses for election duty. He said one of the vehicles was targeted by militants at Pantha Chowk, resulting in injuries to six CRPF men. All the injured personnel were rushed to Army’s 92 Base Hospital at BB Cantonment.According to sources, out of six, two CRPF men were critical and later one succumbed to his injuries. The injured civilians that included one school girl identified as Zainab were also rushed to the hospital but both are stated to be stable. Zainab is 10 year old student of DPS. Soon after the attack, police and SOG, army and CRPF arrived on the spot and launched searches to nab the attackers.The government forces sealed the entire area and stopped movement of vehicles for some time. However no one was arrested.
Lashkar-e-Toiba claimed responsibility of the attack and announced prize for its commander Abu Musa for his role in the attack.The Monday’s attack is the third attack in the city in just three days which is going for bye elections on April 9 for Lok Sabha seat. On Saturday, three army men were injured when militants attacked their convoy at JVC Bemina. One policeman was killed and 10 government forces men were injured at Nowhatta yesterday when militants hurled a grenade on police and CRPF during stone-pelting.The Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) chief Mehmood Shah on Monday announced reward for the “brave” commander Abu Musa for carrying out a “successful” operation at Pantha Chowk. The outfit also warned New Delhi of “serious damage” if any untoward happens with any of the Hurriyat leaders and said “India won’t succeed in its hard-line policies”.
In a statement issued to news agency GNS, a spokesman of the outfit Dr Abdullah Ghaznavi quoted Shah as saying, “We salute the people’s resilience. India is shocked over such attacks and is unable to identify the hands behind it. Indian forces must realise that whoever attacks them are Kashmiri people who have been subjected to extreme kind of oppression and brutality.”Shah, according to Ghaznavi, said Narendra Modi was unwelcome in Kashmir and “our mujahideen translated the aspirations of people by carrying out three successive attacks”. Thanking people, Lashkar chief said: “We are heavily indebted to the sacrifices of the sons of Kashmir. We need your continuous support. With your sweat would be our blood.”Shah said Indian intelligence agencies are worried after the unsuccessful visit of Narendra Modi to J&K and now “they will further the suppressive measures against the people and conspire to target the Hurriyat leaders and defame the mujahideen”. Mehmood Shah asked the international human rights organisations to raise voice against the Indian “oppression” in Jammu Kashmir. (GNS)