25.6.13

Terror strikes J&K

A day before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s visit to the Valley, suspected Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists struck brazenly at three places in Srinagar, killing eight soldiers and wounding 13 others.
This was the second big ambush in Srinagar in three days, with the previous daytime terror strike killing two police constables at Hari Singh High Street in uptown Srinagar on Saturday.
Defence sources said terrorists fired from automatic weapons at a convoy of 35 Rashtriya Rifles on way from Sonmarg towards south Kashmir at Hyderpora Bypass around 4.30 pm. While most terrorists were in a car with tinted glasses, two others were on a motorcycle, the sources said. The convoy was their main target and all the eight jawans killed were at Hyderpora Bypass, close to Classic Hospital, in the firing and grenade attack.
The terrorists then split with the two motorcycle borne militants heading towards Airport Road where they fired and hurled a grenade at a police post at Bardala bridge, injuring a CRPF jawan and one police constable. Amazingly, they were not intercepted and reached a CRPF camp at Karanagar where they fired at will and fled towards Barzulla check post.Hizbul Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack. One Baliguddin, identifying himself as a Hizb spokesperson, called up a Srinagar news agency and said his group has formed several squads and more attacks had been planned.
The terrorists were finally intercepted at Barzulla. In a brief shootout, another CRPF jawan and a policeman were injured. The terrorists then fled from the spot leaving behind their motorcycle. The area in Barzulla was cordoned off and a search launched, police said.
Inspector general of police A G Mir confirmed the attackers belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen. An intelligence officer said Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba has been told by ISI not to claim responsibility for such attacks. “The attacks are in fact launched by LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen has been asked to take responsibility to show that militancy is indigenous, a movement for Azadi,” he said.

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