-- Sajad Hameed/FPJ
Agencies / Srinagar
Terrorists hiding inside a mosque opened fire at a CRPF patrol team in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore town on Wednesday, killing a jawan and a civilian whose 3-year-old grandson (in pic) narrowly escaped the hail of bullets and was rescued by security forces, officials said.
The incident in north Kashmir's apple town, about 50 km from Srinagar, took place a little after 8 am. Three Central Reserve Police Force troopers were injured in the attack, which led to panic in the area. The CRPF personnel, on routine patrol duty, returned the fire but the terrorists managed to flee the area, the officials said. It was unclear how many terrorists were holed up inside the mosque.
As people scurried for cover, 60-year-old Bashir Khan, who was travelling with his grandson in his car abandoned the vehicle and made an unsuccessful attempt to run for safety but was killed, officials said, narrating the sequence of events.
When CRPF men saw the toddler crying next to grandfather’s body, some made a dash to rescue him as colleagues opened fire to cover them. The incident triggered intense debate with Khan’s son alleging his father was pulled out from the car and killed by security forces, a charge denied by the CRPF.
Images of the weeping child near his grandfather’s body were circulated widely on social media, intensifying the debate. “The civilian was killed by terrorists and all the noise on social media is being orchestrated from across the border,” Additional Director General of CRPF Zulfikar Hasan told reporters in Sopore.
CRPF and other security forces have the utmost regard for places or worship and no one could even think that terrorists would use the mosque as a hideout, he said, and complimented the jawans for their patience and presence of mind during the encounter.
Later in the day, police officials went inside the mosque along with prominent citizens of the area and saw the bloodstains in one part of the mosque building.
CRPF head constable Deep Chand Verma, who was injured, along with three of his colleagues, was declared brought dead to the hospital. “One needs to wonder how a man sitting 50 km away from the site of encounter come to this conclusion such a thing had happened,” an official said, responding to allegations by Khan's son who lives in Mustafabad locality in Srinagar's HMT area.
The son said his father left for Sopore along with his grandson at 6 am for some personal work. The CRPF also issued a statement detailing the events. “Militants hiding in the attic of a nearby mosque started firing indiscriminately on the troops resulting in injuries to four CRPF personnel,” it said.
“A civilian vehicle coming from Sopore towards Kupwara was caught in the firing range of terrorists. An old man, driving the car stopped, got down to move away for safe spot but got killed by terrorists firing.”
