J&K Police arrests five ISJK terrorists for martyring BSF jawans in Srinagar, seizes four vehicles

Nearly four months after the Srinagar terrorist attack in which two Border Security Force (BSF) jawans were martyred, the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday arrested five Islamic State in Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK) terrorists and seized four vehicles. On May 20, three terrorists launched an attack in Soura near Pandach area of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir.

An FIR was filed under section 302 and 395 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), sections 7/25, 7/ 27 of the Arms Act, sections 16, 18, 19, 23 of the ULAP Act in Soura Police Station. The terrorists helped in transportation, logistics, planning and executing the attack.

In the course of the investigation, four vehicles were detained which includes two private ambulances functioning at the SKIMS Hospital, a bike and a scooter. Accordingly, the approval for the seizure of the above vehicles was sought from J&K DGP Dilbagh Singh to which he agreed.

It is pertinent to mention that the ambulance (JK01AD0915) was used to transport the terrorists from Bijbehara to Pandach and back. The bike (JK01AH2989) and Scooty (JK01V 8288) were used to carry out the attack and escape after looting of weapons from the injured jawans.

Furthermore, categorized terrorists of ISJK involved in the attack have also been neutralized in two separate encounters at Zadibal, Srinagar and Hatigam, Bijbehara and looted weapons of BSF jawans have also been recovered.

A total of nine people were involved in the case of which four got killed in different encounters. In Zoonimar, Srinagar on June 21, in an encounter three terrorists were killed including Mohsin, a resident of Anchar, Soura and Shaqoor, a resident of Qamarwari, Srinagar who were involved.

In Waghama, Bijbehara, on June 30, in another encounter, two terrorists of ISJK including Yawar, a resident of Hathigam Sirgufawaa was neutralized. On July 2, ISJK Commander Zahid Das, a resident of Waghama Bijbehara, who was the mastermind of Pandach attack, was killed in an encounter with police and CRPF at Malabagh, Nigeen, Srinagar. He was also the mastermind of the Bijbehara attack in which a child and a CRPF  jawan were martyred.

The bike-borne terrorists fired at the two jawans at around 5.10 pm and also snatched two weapons from the BSF, Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar had said. The two jawans, Rana Mondol and Jiaul Haque, belonged to the 37 Battalion and were deployed as a part of Adhoc K-7. They were attacked when the troops were on their Road Opening Party (ROP) duty. The injured jawans were rushed to the hospital but they died on the way.

Kumar had said, “Two BSF jawans on Naka Duty at the outskirts of Srinagar city at Pandach Chowk were fired upon by 3 bike-borne terrorists," adding, “one jawan died at the spot while one succumbed on way to the hospital”. Eyewitnesses said that the terrorists fired discriminately at the BSF personnel, resulting in serious injuries to two personnel who were evacuated to nearby SKIMS hospital in Soura, Srinagar.

Soon after the attack, the area was cordoned and a search was launched to nab the attackers. All the entry and exit points were sealed. 
The battalion was deployed in the Pandach area under Ganderbal district for law and order duty since August 2019.