EIGHT security personnel, including four CRPF men, were killed when militants carried out a suicide attack on a district police complex in south Kashmir’s Pulwama on Saturday, triggering a massive gunfight in which the three terrorists were killed. The terror strike took place at the crack of dawn when the militants, believed to be foreign mercenaries, entered the police complex in the worst-hit Pulwama district, 25 km from here.Police, CRPF and Army personnel quickly swung into action and cornered the militants and ensured that family members of the police personnel living within the complex were taken out to safety.

By afternoon, the security personnel neutralised one of the three terrorist while another militant’s body was recovered after 5 PM, officials said, adding the firing had stopped and the third body would be recovered soon.The militants had entrenched themselves in all the three blocks of the police complex and were firing at the approaching troops, they said.
Lt Gen J S Sandhu, General officer Commanding of Srinagar-based XV Corps, said it is a “fidayeen” (suicide) attack.

Among those killed four were from the CRPF, one was a constable of Jammu and Kashmir Police and three were Special Police Officers working with the state police.Two of the four CRPF personnel were killed at the fag end of the operation when they were defusing one of the improvised explosive devices planted by the militants.

Director General of Police S P Vaid said it was a sad day for security forces who suffered such a heavy causality. “However, the boys fought bravely and we are only more determined to wipe out militancy from the entire state,” he said. A police official said that one of the militants came out of a building and fired indiscriminately during the encounter.“He was gunned down on the spot,” the official said.The authorities have suspended mobile internet services in the district as a precautionary measure.

BSF kills three Pak Rangers

JAMMU/NEW DELHI,

Aug 26,

(PTI)

A DAY after its jawan was injured by a sniper, the BSF on Saturday said it has killed at least three Pakistan Rangers after the other side indulged in unprovoked firing along the International Border (IB) in Jammu. The force also said it is “engaged in a befitting retaliation” after the Rangers began unprovoked firing in the Pargwal area of Jammu since around 3 PM.

Earlier in the day, the force said, at least half-a-dozen mortar shells were fired from across the border and they exploded in the Dewra village of Sunderbani sector along the IB.“The force retaliated strongly during cross-border firing and shot dead at least three Pakistan Rangers,” a Border Security Force (BSF) spokesperson said.

On Friday, a BSF jawan, constable K K Appa Rao, was hit by a sniper round in the RS Pora sector when the Pakistani side took a direct aim at him. Rao, who was drinking water, got hit just below his right ear.“Constable Rao was operated upon last night and is stable now,” the spokesperson added.
Officials said such a hostile action between the two sides along the IB has been witnessed after a long time.

The two border guarding forces, on July 17, had held a Commandant-level flag meeting in Samba sector along the IB and “committed” themselves to maintaining peace.In the flag meeting, the two sides had agreed to re energise instant communication between field commanders, whenever required, to resolve petty matters.Incidents of ceasefire violation by Pakistan have increased sharply this year. Till August 1, there were 285 such violations by the Pakistan Army, while in 2016, the number was significantly less at 228 for the entire year, according to the Army figures.