The Hindu : Front Page : Two CRPF deputy commandants killed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 13, 2004

Front Page

Two CRPF deputy commandants killed

READY FOR ACTION: A CRPF jawan taking position outside his camp at Dal Gate area in Srinagar during an encounter with militants on Sunday. Two CRPF officers and two militants were killed in the gunbattle. - Photo: Nissar Ahmad

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, SEPT. 12. Two Deputy Commandants of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed during a night-long attack yesterday by a two-member suicide squad of the Al-Mansoorian outfit in central Srinagar. Both the militants were killed and four CRPF personnel injured.

Police said two militants stormed Hotel York, located in the Dal Gate area, around 9.30 p.m.. The hotel is being used as the headquarters by the 94 Battalion of the CRPF.

Exchange of fire

The militants lobbed two handgrenades and fired indiscriminately at the guards. A fierce exchange of fire followed. Sources said that one militant was shot dead after he fired a volley of bullets and exploded grenades injuring four CRPF men, including two Deputy Commandants. The security forces cordoned off the area immediately.

The injured were shifted to the Army base hospital. The officers killed were Second-in-Command of 65th Battalion, Chetram, and Second-in-Command of 64th Battalion, Ananthnathan. The condition of one of the injured is critical.

One militant, who was firing from a room, was killed. The Special Operation Group of J&K Police assisted the CRPF. The other militant was gunned down in the morning after he ran out of arms and ammunition.

The gun-battled started a fire in the hotel. The DGP, Gopal Sharma, the IGP, Kashmir zone, K. Rajindra Kumar, and the CRPF Inspector-General, Ranjeet Sinha, visited the spot. Mr. Kumar said the militants were trying to "show their presence by carrying out such attacks." They were under tremendous pressure from security forces, he said.

Outfit's claim

An Al-Mansoorian spokesman, Abu Inquilabi, rang up newspaper offices here and claimed that he led the three-member "suicide squad."

He said that the two `fidayeen', Abdul Waheed alias Waseem and Sajjad Bin Abdul Gafoor alias Abu Ma'az, stormed the building. Inquilabi claimed that he returned safely to his hideout after the two suicide bombers went in.

On July 27 and August 4 this year, 14 CRPF soldiers were killed and 20 wounded when militants carried out attacks on Hotel Leeward in the Dal Lake area and Feroz Manzil in the Raj Bagh area.

Girl killed

UNI reports:

A girl was killed and another wounded when militants hurled a handgrenade at the house of a Communist Party of India (M) leader, Jalaluddin, at Kulgam in Anantnag district on Saturday night.

His two daughters, Tahira and Tasleema, were injured. Later, Tahira died of injuries at a hospital.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page