LeT behind Monday's attack on CRPF personnel in J&K: IGP, Kashmir

LeT was behind Monday's attack on a CRPF road-opening party in the Nowgam area on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Jammu and Kashmir, in which two personnel were killed and three were injured

Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant outfit was behind Monday's deadly attack on a CRPF road-opening party in the Nowgam area on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Jammu and Kashmir, in which two personnel were killed and three were injured, a senior police official said on Tuesday.

"We have identified the militants behind the attack. They are from the Lashkar, led by a Pakistani terrorist named Saifullah. We are on the job and they will be neutralised soon," Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir Zone Vijay Kumar said.

He was speaking to reporters after the wreath-laying ceremony for the two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans, who were killed in the attack.

"Two militants came on a scooter, most probably from the Pampore side, and opened indiscriminate firing from an AK rifle," the IGP said.

He admitted that the Lashkar module had carried out an attack earlier in the Chadoora area of Budgam district as well, in which an assistant sub-inspector of the CRPF was killed.

"We are conducting operations and soon, they will be neutralised," the officer said.

Responding to a question on militants using two-wheelers to carry out attacks, Kumar said it is easy for the ultras to move around on motorbikes on roads where the vehicle movement is heavy.

"We cannot check every vehicle, vehicles are checked based on information mostly. Checking every vehicle will cause traffic jams," he said.

The IGP sought to assure people, saying there is no need to panic and "the situation is under control".

On the use of virtual phone numbers by militants, he said this technology is a cause of concern but it has been used for subversive activities for years now.

"Virtual numbers have remained challenging since the beginning. It is challenging across the world. We are trying to find technological answers," Kumar said.