2 BSF men killed in militant attack near Indian Air Force airfield in J&K

SRINAGAR: Two BSF personnel, including an officer, were killed while four others injured when militants opened fired at their vehicle near the Awantipora IAF airfield in Jammu and Kashmir today.

Officials said a Border Security Force (BSF) team was on way for change of guard when they were hit by a hail of bullets in Kuil in Pulwama district, 33 kms from here, this afternoon at 1340pm.

The BSF is deployed for securing the Indian Air Force airfield which is used by defence forces for air operations.

The paramilitary squad that came under militant attack belongs to BSF's 165th and 92nd battalions.

"The militants opened fire at the BSF squad that was in a military gypsy. They were moving towards the airfield. Two personnel were killed and four have been injured in the firing," a senior official said.

Reinforcements of the Rashtriya Rifles and BSF found the troops lying inside the dark-green vehicle in a pool of blood on a wet mud track flanked by bushes next to the airfield.

Immediately after the firing, the other BSF personnel present on the spot retaliated but the militants fled.

"The vehicle which was hit was the last in the three-vehicle convoy," the official said.

The injured have been shifted to Army base hospital in the vicinity of the airfield, they said.
While the slain officials have been identified as ASI Subhan Yadav and Head Constable Subedar Singh, the injured personnel are Head Constable Vinay Prasad and constables Amar Bahadur, Paramjeet Singh and driver Vinod Kumar, police said.

The militants, after carrying out the attack, fled using the cover of nearby orchards, the police added.

No militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

This is the fourth attack on security forces -- second on BSF personnel -- since August 11. Six persons including five security personnel have been killed and several injured in the violence.

On August 11, militants attacked a BSF convoy at Pampore injuring eight personnel. The next day militants shot dead constable of Railway protection force.

On Thursday, militants attacked a police vehicle at Gallander in Pampore, leaving two policemen and a civilian dead.