Five CRPF personnel were killed in Fidayeen attack on Sunday, when three JeM militants including two locals, stormed the CRPF campus

by Hakeem Irfan Rashid

SRINAGAR: On a specific intelligence input regarding Jaish-e-Mohammad Fidayeen attack in Lethpora area of Pulwama last week, CRPF officials claimed to have averted major casualties during the 37-hour-long gun battle.

The CRPF men at Lethpora campus, J&K's Special DG of CRPF SN Srivastava, said didn't allow the militants to run helter skelter in a CRPF campus after they breached the perimeter from the rear side and one of them was injured in the first challenge at around 2 am.

The two militants, Srivastava said, were restricted to quarters used as Signal Center and later killed there. The CRPF technicians inside the Signal Center, officials claim, locked themselves up in the quarters of the building and were later rescued, during which one of the CRPF commanders was also killed. "This a huge campus with 2.5-km-long boundary which is still being developed. Lighting every bit of the area in a foggy winter night is possible and they managed to take advantage of this.

However, they were challenged immediately and one of them was injured and remained there till he was killed," Srivastava told ET.

The two militants then opened indiscriminate fire and ran towards the nearest buildings, and one sentry posted at the gates was injured and they managed to barge in.

"We had intelligence input regarding the attack and this is why major damage was averted. Our five men gave their lives fighting. These are all battle casualties, while trying to neutralise the enemy. All our officers were present at the spot within minutes of the attack," Srivastava added.

Five CRPF personnel were killed in Fidayeen attack on Sunday, when three JeM militants including two locals, stormed the CRPF campus.