After Pampore Attack, Delhi Experts Review Highway Security

KL NEWS NETWORK

SRINAGAR

Bullet-torn CRPF vehicle during recent Pampore attack. (KL Images: Bilal Bahadur)

Four days after security setup was jolted in a major fidayeen ambush at Pampore, Delhi has sent a high level security expert team in Kashmir to review the security arrangement on Highway.

The team accompanied by local sleuths is comprised of security experts from different wings of counterinsurgent group. They are inspecting the stretch between Bijbehara and Pampore, lately emerged as the “death trap” for deployments. The team is expected to help state government evolve a strategy to counter the frequent militant attacks on convoy and patrol on Highway.

The visit, interestingly, came hours after a high-profile meeting at Delhi on Tuesday proposed intensifying of the anti-militancy operations in valley in view of recent attack on a CRPF convoy in Pampore that killed eight paramilitary troopers and left 22 injured. The team had visited Pampore Tuesday evening and on Wednesday a huge convoy carried the ‘experts’ to Pampore and Bejbehara.

The Tuesday’s meeting reportedly also discussed the strategy to catch LeT commander for South Kashmir, Abu Dujana —who is believed to head a module of nearly 10 militants who lately arrived in valley.

Injured CRPF men on way to camp after Pampore attack.

Earlier reports suggested that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed’s son-in-law Khalid Waleed is suspected to be the “mastermind” behind the Saturday’s attack. “Waleed is the masterminded of the June 25 attack,” reports quoting sleuths said, “while two of his deputies — Hanzla Adnan and Sajid Jat — played handlers to two militants who killed the Indian troops.” Abu Dujana, the reports said, arranged the local logistics.

The meeting of the internal security top brass yesterday was chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and attended by national security adviser Ajit Doval, union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, RAW chief Rajinder Khanna and Intelligence Bureau director Dineshwar Sharma.

Soon after the meeting, the reports said, the government is expected to launch a major operational offensive against militant groups in Kashmir in the face of increasing militant strikes. The option of giving more firepower to the security forces in view of a “tactical shift” of militant strategy—attacking highway patrol than military installations—was also discussed, the report said. “One of the key issues discussed at the meeting was the possibility of replacing the CRPF with the BSF in some of the worst affected parts of the Valley.”

CRPF Men on way Camp. (Photo: Bilal Bahadur/KL)

BSF, notably, is a “more lethal” force specialising in counter-terror operations as compared to “crowd control” CRPF. Otherwise a border guarding force, the BSF is better equipped in terms of weapons, using AK series firearms equipped with grenade launchers. BSF was deployed for counter-insurgency in Srinagar city for nearly 20 years. Later CRPF replaced it.

Under these developments, the Wednesday’s visit of the security review team is said to be crucial. Already, the Pampore attack forced Delhi to provide armoured vehicle cover to all convoys on Highway. Besides the road opening party (ROP) will also sanitise areas adjoining the route of convoys.

The visit is also said to be important after CRPF and army had a face-off over the credit of militant kills in Pampore. Army that first claimed credit for kills had drawn flak from CRPF. Later, army retracted the statement saying that militants were killed in CRPF action. The disgruntled CRPF even rebuffed defence minister Manohar Parrikar’s claim that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were not followed.

Wreath laying ceremony of CRPF man killed in Pampore attack.

Amid these developments, one top police officer posted in south Kashmir told Kashmir Life that Highway attacks could surge in coming days. “Militants are now focussing on this strategic stretch to create an impact,” the officer said. “It has kept all of us on toes.” To prevent such attacks, some reports even suggest that police is planning to man the stretch with video cameras.

The latest attack on Highway between Pampore and Bijbehara was sixth from last six months. On Dec 9, 2015, two militants were killed after forces intercepted a vehicle near Pampore. Shortly militants struck again that month, injuring two cops, including a DSP. On Feb this year, two CRPF personnel were killed in a Pampore attack. On April 8, two civilians were injured when militants targeted army vehicle. On June 3, three BSF personnel were killed in militant attack on convoy at Bijbehera.

Now, reports even suggest that Pampore style attack is going to take place in the next two days. It seems the summer of discontent has gripped the valley.

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