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‘3 newly recruited militants attacked SSB men in Banihal’
PRINCE JEHANGIR. Dated: 9/22/2017 5:48:29 PM
Weapons snatched from SSB troopers on Sep 20 night
BANIHAL, Sep 21: Three newly recruited militants carried out last night attack on Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) troops in which one Head Constable died on the spot and ASI sustained bullet injuries near North portal of Qazigund-Banihal four lane tunnel.
Police reports said that among three militants two belong to village Kaskoot and one from village Ashar of Banihal Tehsil. They carried out an attack on SSB personnel at North Portal of 8.5 kilometers long Banihal-Qazigund four lane tunnel. After firing from a point blank range with pistol, militants managed to snatch weapons from SSB troopers which included one INSAS and AR-41 rifle.
Police identified all the three militants as Aqib Ahmed son of Abdul Waheed Najar and Gazanfar son of Mohammed Iqbal Khan both residents of Kaskoot and Mohammad Arif son Ghulam Hassan Wani of Ashar. All three youths were found missing from their respective homes after the attack.
Aqib Ahmed and Gazanfar are studying in Government Degree College (GDC) Khanabal (Anantnag) in BSc. 2nd year. However, third accused Mohammad Arif son of Ghulam Hassan Wani of Ashar Banihal was working as helper in NAUYOUGA Engineering Company.
Eye witness told KTNS that half an hour before the attack at about 6.50 PM all three youths were roaming near site of attack on a bike. The said Pulsar bike bearing registration number JK02AK-2221 of one of the militants Gazanfar was found parked at about 100 meters away from the spot of incident and it was seized by the police.
The parents of one youth said that on Wednesday evening at 6.00 PM Aqib left his home telling her mother that he was going to mosque for offering prayers. When he did not return home till 10.00 PM, his parents lodged his missing report in Police Station Banihal.
"Yesterday's incident was a terror attack carried out by three militants at SSB camp in Banihal belt last evening," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ramban, Mohan Lal said, ending speculation about the incident which appeared mysterious initially.
The militants fired at the securitymen, killing one of them and injuring another, he said.
While Head Constable Ram Pravesh was killed, Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Shyam Sood was injured and hospitalised in Srinagar.
"The militants also snatched two rifles of the SSB men," Mohan Lal said, adding this was the first incident of militancy in the district in the past few years.
SDPO Banihal DySP Dheeraj Katoch said, “We have recovered four empty pistol cartridges of 7.4 mm pistol, two mobile phones and a bike from the site of incident. Security forces have launched a massive hunt to nab the culprits. All hilly routes which connect Banihal with Kashmir valley were sealed to avert militants’ entry into Kashmir valley.
Police and security forces have launched a combing and search operation in entire Banihal and adjoining hills to track down the attackers.
Significantly, terror activity has been reported after five years of gap in Banihal area. Last incident occurred in year 2011 when LeT commander Abu Musa was killed by security forces in Kheri area of Banihal.
Meanwhile, Additional Director General (ADG) Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Surjeet Singh Deswal, today paid floral tributes to Head Constable (HC) Ram Parvesh Yadav of SSB 14 Bn, who was killed as militants opened fire on a search party at Nogam Banihal in Ramban district.
Inspector General Operational Ashok Kumar, DIG Rajinder Singh, Commandant Ajay Kumar, Commandant Sanjeev Yadav, SSP Ramban Mohan Lal, ADC Gurvinder Jit Singh, ACR Vivek Puri and officials from civil and police administration also reached DPL to pay rich tributes to HC Ram Parvesh Yadhv in a solemn ceremony at district police line Ramban.