Experts see lapses, JKP to review its security measures
Northlines Desk | Jammu Tawi, Dec 14: The death toll in a terror attack on a police bus in Kashmir’s Srinagar rose to three on Tuesday with one more police personnel succumbing to his injuries.
Constable Rameez Ahmad of the ninth battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police died at the Army’s 92 Base Hospital Tuesday morning, officials said.
On Monday, terrorists belonging to a Jaish-e-Muhammed affiliate group opened fire on a police van in Srinagar’s Pantha Chowk area.
At least 16 police personnel were injured in the attack, of which three have succumbed to their injuries.
Kashmir Tigers claimed responsibility for the firing, which took place on the 20th anniversary of the attack on the Parliament Building.
Assistant Sub Inspector Ghulam Hassan and Constable Shafeeq Ali were killed in the attack on Monday.
On Tuesday, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Dilbag Singh ordered a series of measures to be adopted while making the deployment of personnel, their travel as well as in other situations.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said the attack was pre-planned as the armed police team usually returned to its camp around the same time after performing routine duties.
Jammu and Kashmir police is reviewing its security measures and checking if there were any major security lapses owing to which militants managed to carry out a major attack in Zewan on Monday.
As of now, three cops died while 11 got injured in a militant attack at Zewan on Monday evening.
While the IGP Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said that it was a planned attack. ‘They must have conducted recce and seen that the bus is coming back every day in routine after getting off duty,’ he said.
The IGP lauded the police personnel, saying they retaliated and ensured that the militants did not succeed in snatching the weapons.
“One of the militants was injured in the retaliatory fire and blood trail could be seen for quite some distance. They escaped towards Khrew. We are working on it,” he added.
Kumar said the militants took advantage of darkness as the road leading to the police camp at Zewan was not well lit and the road opening party of security forces had left for the day.
IGP Kumar said police are maintaining high alert and cops requiring travel from one place to another will be provided bullet proof vehicles.
“We are taking all precautionary measures, including installation of lights on the road,” he added.
However, many security experts have questioned that police had not followed proper SOP resulting in militants managing to carry out this major attack.
Former Director General of Police J&K, S P Vaid said, “Whenever there is movement of a police contingent in Kashmir, its security is prepared through area domination. Usually there is heavy deployment of police. But what happened in Zewan is beyond comprehension. This looks like a big mistake,” Vaid said.
He said weapons should be there in this type of police party movement. “But there are reports that most of the policemen did not have weapons. There should be a protection party at the time of movement,” Vaid added.
A senior police official said that security agencies have decided to change their strategy while operating in the field. “The militants managed to carry out a major Zewan attack as there seems to be some lapses on part of security agencies,” the official told news agency KINS.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir range Vijay Kumar said that three militants of Jaish-e-Muhammad including two foreigners and a local carried out Zewan attack.
“The bus carrying 25 policemen was returning to the camp, as per routine, when three militantsof Jaish-e-Mohammad opened fire on the vehicle,” he said.
Director General of Police J&K Dilbagh Singh has said “the movement of militants has increased in Srinagar and surrounding areas, after which we have conducted 3-4 successful operations in the city in recent days”.
The terrorist action, the most daring yet against the police, came two days after militants killed two policemen in Bandipora and just hours after the police killed two LeT terrorists, including a foreigner, in a chance encounter in Srinagar’s Rangreth area.
