CRPF wants its operations to be on par with Army

SRINAGAR: Days after an audacious attack on its convoy in Jammu and Kashmir, the Central Reserve Police Force ( CRPF) said it will upgrade its standard operating procedure ( SOP) to bring it on a par with that of the Army, which uses armored plated vehicles for movement of its forces in the valley.

CRPF DG Durga Prasad told ET, “All the SoPs were followed by the CPRF convoy but we have decided to upgrade them.” The attack, according to CRPF was an ‘opportunity ambush’ and terrorist’s real target was security forces in Srinagar. “After they failed in Srinagar, the militants’ drover towards Jammu and Kashmir highway and spotted the CRPF bus near Pampore, said a senior CRPF official.

Investigators also claimed that they have identified the two slain militants and two locals, suspected to be surrendered militants, who were travelling with them at the time of the attack. According to intelligence sources, the two Pakistani militants have been identified as Majid Bhai and Abu Gaza. They are suspected to be part of the group that recently infiltrated LoC near Bandipore, said officials.

While four of them were killed in an encounter with Army near LoC, nearly half a dozen managed to escape following which an alert was sounded in the valley. CRPF DG also denied that there was any controversy over whether the militants have been killed by CPRF or Army. “It was out men who neutralized the two militants before they could cause more damage. The army reached the site after the attack was over,” Prasad said.