Eight Indian police officials dead, 20 injured in Kashmir militant attack

Record ID: 1374678

  • Title: Eight Indian police officials dead, 20 injured in Kashmir militant attack
  • Date: 25th June 2016
  • Summary: PAMPORE, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA (JUNE 25, 2016) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS BBC) SECURITY PERSONNEL STANDING AROUND A DAMAGED VEHICLE DAMAGED VEHICLE A SIGNBOARD ON THE VEHICLE READING, 'CRPF' (CENTRAL RESERVE POLICE FORCE) DAMAGED VEHICLE ARMED SECURITY PERSONNEL AT MILITANT ATTACK SITE ARMED SECURITY PERSONNEL ON GUARD DAMAGED VEHICLE ARMED SECURITY PERSONNEL ON GUARD (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi and English) SENIOR OFFICER OF AN INDIAN SECURITY FORCE, RAJESH YADAV, SAYING: "The attack took place when our security personnel were returning from the firing range after practice. Our security personnel retaliated and both the militants were neutralised on the spot. Although we have lost, as for now, five boys and around 20 injured. All of them have been evacuated to 92 base hospital." ARMED SECURITY PERSONNEL ON GUARD PAMPORE, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA (JUNE 25, 2016) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS BBC) A DAMAGED CENTRAL RESERVE POLICE FORCE VEHICLE BEING TOWED AWAY POLICE PERSONNEL STANDING (SOUNDBITE) (English) INSPECTOR-GENERAL, CENTRAL RESERVE POLICE FORCE OPERATION, NALIN PRABHAT, SAYING: "First hand information after looking at the bodies is, both appear to be Pakistanis, definitely from Lashkar and in all likelihood, they were fidayeen. Two AK-47 rifles have been recovered from them." NEW DELHI, INDIA (JUNE 25, 2016) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS BBC) INDIA'S JUNIOR INTERIOR MINISTER, KIREN RIJIJU'S CAR COMING TO A HALT (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) INDIA'S JUNIOR INTERIOR MINISTER, KIREN RIJIJU, SAYING: "Eight security personnel have been martyred and 17 others are injured, out of which five are critically injured. In total 22 are injured. Tomorrow, CRPF Director General of Police and other senior officials will go to Srinagar to carry out investigations because it is a matter of grave concern for us that so many security personnel have been martyred." RIJIJU LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 9th July 2016 19:13
  • Keywords: militants Pakistan India Kashmir Attack
  • Location: PAMPORE, JAMMU AND KASHMIR AND NEW DELHI, INDIA
  • City: PAMPORE, JAMMU AND KASHMIR AND NEW DELHI, INDIA
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
  • Reuters ID: LVA0014NQWSW7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3 MATERIAL
    Militants killed eight Indian police officials and injured approximately 20 when they attacked a security convoy in northern Jammu & Kashmir state on Saturday (June 25) a police spokesman said, in an attack claimed by Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
    Two men attacked a convoy of India's Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on a highway near the Pampore town, 15 kilometres (9 miles) from the state capital Srinagar. The militants were killed by CRPF officials who were guarding the highway, police spokesman Bhavesh Kumar Choudhary said.
    "The attack took place when our security personnel were returning from the firing range after practice. Our security personnel retaliated and both the militants were neutralized on the spot. Although we have lost, as for now, five boys and around 20 injured. All of them have been evacuated to 92 base hospital," said Rajesh Radev, a senior officer of an Indian security force.
    Dr. Abdullah Gaznavi, a spokesman for LeT, said the attack was carried out by members of the group's suicide squad. Gaznavi claimed 13 CRPF police officials were killed in the fighting that lasted for an hour.
    India's Junior Interior Minister, Kiren Rijiju said a proper investigation would be carried out on Sunday (June 26).
    "Eight security personnel have been martyred and 17 others are injured, out of which five are critically injured. In total 22 are injured. Tomorrow, CRPF Director General of Police and other senior officials will go to Srinagar to carry out investigations because it is a matter of grave concern for us that so many security personnel have been martyred," he said.
    Violence in Kashmir has spiked against a backdrop of rising social tension and separatist sentiment in the Muslim-majority region, which for decades has been at the centre of a strategic tussle between India and Pakistan.
    In May, militants shot dead three Indian policemen at point-blank range. In February, militants attacked a bus carrying police reservists near Srinagar, before breaking into a training institute.
    India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence in 1947 over Kashmir, which they both claim in full but rule in part.
    India accuses Pakistan of training and arming the rebels in the portion it controls and sending them to the Indian side, a claim its neighbour denies.
    Mehbooba Mufti, state chief minister, condemned Saturday's attack. "The only purpose of such blood-spattered acts of violence is to add to the tragedies and miseries of the people," she said in a statement.
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register