In yet another broad daylight ambush, Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists on Friday attacked a Border Security Force convoy killing three personnel and injuring nine others near Bijbehara on Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
The three deceased BSF personnel have been identified as Head Constable Girish Kumar Shukla, Constable Mahinder Ram and Havaldar Dinesh. The incident which took place at 4.30 pm at Guriwan area, a place near a government hospital.
“It’s an unfortunate incident. The BSF convoy was attacked on the national highway by terrorists who fired at it from the by-lanes near Bijbehara,” Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police K Rajendra said.
He lauded the role of the security forces who exercised utmost restraint after the incident as terrorists had ambushed the convoy from by-lanes of a thickly populated locality.
“The boys did not fire back to avoid civilian casualties,” he said, adding “terrorists want that the atmosphere should be vitiated ahead of assembly polls in neighbouring Anantnag”.
Additional forces have been rushed to the area which has been cordoned off by Central Reserve Police Force and Rashtriya Rifles. The security forces had to face tough time during their search operations when some of the people hurled stones at them.
Hizbul Mujahideen group has sent e-mails to some of the local news agency claiming responsibility for the attack.
In New Delhi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh expressed deep anguish and pain at the incident and asked BSF Director General K K Sharma to rush to the spot to take stock of the situation.
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the incident and said it was an indication of worsening law and order situation in the state.
The BSF convoy comprising 23 vehicles was coming from Jammu to Srinagar ferrying jawans who were returning to join their duties after their leave.
The attack comes 10 days after the Hizbul Mujahideen had killed three policemen in two separate incidents in Srinagar city. They had threatened to carry out similar attacks.
BSF convoys have often been the target of terrorist groups. Last year in August, a BSF convoy was attacked by Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists at Udhampur in which two of its personnel and a terrorist were killed.
Another terrorist Mohammed Naveed was captured alive after the terror strike.
