Kulgam:
The terror attack on a CRPF check post in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district could have been a major tragedy if one of its personnel, who himself was injured, hadn’t swiftly counter-fired, forcing the opponents to make a hasty retreat.
CCTV footage shows terrorists firing a barrage of bullets at CRPF troopers before the apparently well-planned attack was foiled.
At least two terrorists took cover behind a gabion structure, opened fire and managed to escape after their attempts were responded to.
Official sources say a prior intelligence alert about a suspected terrorist movement and the swift retaliatory action by a CRPF jawan “helped security forces thwart what could have been a major attack aimed at inflicting heavy casualties”.
Three CRPF personnel sustained injuries in the attack. According to officials, one of the injured personnel retaliated despite sustaining injuries.
A CRPF camp is located less than 100 metres from the attack site.
An official analysis indicates that the manner in which the attack was executed suggests that the terrorists intended to inflict maximum damage on security personnel and create a major security incident.
However, the immediate counterfire disrupted their plan and forced them to withdraw before security forces could regroup and intensify the response, as per the analysis.
“The incident reflects the growing frustration and desperation of the adversaries, who are finding it increasingly difficult to achieve their objectives due to heightened alertness, preparedness and effective area domination by security forces,” said an official.
The Kulgam attack comes against the backdrop of an extended period of relative calm in the Valley. It’s seen as the biggest terror incident after the Pahalgam terror attack, which had triggered a four-day conflict between India and Pakistan.
Security and intelligence agencies believe that almost zero recruitment of local youth into terrorism has changed the security situation in Kashmir.
Last week, the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, told a press conference that only one local terrorist, Latief Ahmad Bhat, is active in the Valley. It’s still unclear whether he was involved in today’s attack. His name had surfaced in the attack on migrant workers on August 1 in the same area where the CRPF was attacked today.
