The body of a third militant was recovered on Monday afternoon from the training centre of the Central Reserve Police Force that was attacked in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district a day before, ANI reported. Two militants were killed on Sunday, but security forces had resumed the operation on Monday morning to find the third.
Five CRPF personnel were killed and three were injured after the suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad militants attacked the training centre on Sunday morning.
CRPF Special Director General (Jammu and Kashmir zone) SN Srivastava told ANI that the two militants killed on Sunday were from the Pulwama region, while the militant they found on Monday was a foreigner.
Srivastava said the search operation in region was underway. “We don’t want to discount any chance of anybody hiding, we want to be doubly sure before we call off the operation,” he added.
Meanwhile, a large number of people participated in the funeral of one of the militants killed, the 16-year-old son of a policeman, in Tral on Monday, Greater Kashmir reported. A youth was hit by a bullet during clashes with security forces before the funeral preparations of the second militant who was killed, IANS reported.
The extremist group purportedly released a video message recorded by the teenage militant before the attack, the Hindustan Times reported. “God willing, when this message reaches you, I will already be a guest of my Lord in his heaven,” he said in the video. The youth urged other young people to join the Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The 16-year-old is believed to have joined the group three months ago, when he was reported missing. Security forces are analysing the video.
“It was a cowardly attack by terrorists,” Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday. “We are proud of our brave jawans, their sacrifice won’t go in vain. The entire nation stands with their families.”
The remains of deceased CRPF soldier Kuldeep Rai was brought to his village in Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh on Monday. Newly-inducted Chief Minister Jairam Thakur announced compensation of Rs 15 lakh for Rai’s family.
The attack came days after Indian troops killed top Jaish-e-Mohammad commander Noor Mohammad Tantray in Awantipora’s Samboora area.
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