Day After Srinagar Encounter, 2 BSF Men Killed, Weapons Looted

The attack on the BSF party took place in Pandach area of Srinagar.

Image used for representational purpose.

(Photo: PTI)

In an audacious terror strike, militants on Wednesday, 20 May gunned down two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and escaped after looting their weapons on outskirts of the summer capital of Srinagar.

IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar told The Quint that the two BSF jawans, who were on road surveillance deployment, were fired upon by two of the three terrorists on a motorcycle around 5:15 pm on the 90-Ft Road at Pandach, near Soura. They were critically injured and later succumbed to injuries. The terrorists escaped after taking away one AK rifle and one INSAS. Efforts were underway to trace the terrorists.

Public Relations Officer at Frontier Headquarters BSF Kashmir said that the incident occurred when the troops were on their ROP duty and the motorcycle borne terrorists suddenly appeared and opened fire on them. 

He said that two jawans, Constable Rana Mandol and Constable Ziaul Haque of ‘C’ company of 37th battalion, were injured and they later succumbed.

“The terrorists managed to take away the weapons of the martyrs. Area has been cordoned off and the search for the terrorists is on”, he said.

Residents around the spot said that the two soldiers were buying chicken for Iftar from a mutton dealer, around 300 meters away from their deployment location when three militants on a motorcycle stopped and opened fire on them.

One of them died on the spot and another succumbed to injuries while being rushed to SKIMS Soura. The militants escaped on their motorcycle after looting weapons of both the soldiers.

Medical Superintendent SKIMS Dr Farooq Jan said that both the jawans were brought dead to the tertiary care hospital.

Senior Police officials said it was a “clear case of security lapse” as the two jawans had left their spot of deployment on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh road and gone to a shop 500 metres away on a different road.

They said that possibility of terror attacks and subsequently claims by the new outfit TRF had been flashed to all forces earlier this week.

The terror strike in the capital city has occurred a day after an encounter in downtown Srinagar, where two Hizbul Mujahideen militants, including the top wanted Junaid Sehrai, had been killed on Tuesday.

In the last one month, five Army and Police personnel and two militants had got killed in an encounter in Handwara area of Kupwara, a day before three CRPF men were killed in another attack.