2 JeM terrorist associates held in J&K’s Pulwama
Two terrorist associates of proscribed terror outfit JeM were arrested from Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Monday by security forces, police said.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Tuesday that the militants who attacked a BSF camp here belonged to the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) terrorist outfit and said such attack will continue “as long as Pakistan is our neighbour”.
Addressing the media, Inspector General of Police Munir Khan said: “I have no doubt that the attack was carried out by JeM militants.
“I think they have owned responsibility for the attack. It is the same group whose militants also carried out an attack in Pulwama town earlier.”
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He said the group had infiltrated into India in July-August.
The officer added: “As long as Pakistan is our neighbour, such attacks will keep happening.”
Khan, who heads the police force in the Kashmir Valley, denied that there had been a security breach that led to the attack.
“As long as militancy is there, the militants can continue to plan such attacks. The operation could have been finished much earlier had we used aerial weapons.
“We did not use aerial weapons to ensure that there is no collateral damage as you know the camp is surrounded by civilian residential area.”
Khan said the operation against the militants on Tuesday was a classic example of total coordination between different wings of the security forces.
He said the militants had managed to enter through the Friends Enclave residential area and from there they had crossed the road to attack the camp.
He said the police has identified the overground worker of the JeM who provided shelter and brought the militants close to the Border Security Force camp.
“We have identified the overground worker who is himself also a militant. He brought the militants here and we are now acting against him.”
Four people including BSF Assistant Sub-Inspector B.S. Yadav and three JeM militants were killed and three BSF troopers injured in the operation against the militants after they entered the 182 Battalion camp of the BSF near Srinagar international airport at 4.30 a.m.
All morning flights to and from Srinagar airport were cancelled. The flight operations were restored in the afternoon.
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