Azhar Qadri & Suhail A Shah

Tribune News Service

Srinagar/Anantnag, June 13

For the first time in recent years, militants carried out a series of near-simultaneous attacks in four districts of Kashmir valley on Tuesday, injuring 16 security personnel and looting four rifles.The first attack took place in Tral sub-district in the evening and by the night-fall, the militants had carried out a total of six attacks—five in south Kashmir and one in north Kashmir.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)DGP SP Vaid said there was prior intelligence about possible escalation in attacks to commemorate the anniversary of Battle of Badr, the first battle fought by a Muslim army in the seventh century.  “Today was the 17th day of Ramazan, it is also the day of Battle of Badr. We had inputs on escalation of their activities and grenade attacks,” he said. In Tral, located in volatile south Kashmir, militants hurled a grenade at a CRPF camp in which 10 paramilitary personnel were injured.Zulfiqar Hassan, IG (Operations), CRPF, said the injured were rushed to Army 92 Base Hospital in the city and were reportedly in a stable condition. Following a brief lull, the militants carried out five attacks within a span of an hour, targeting a guard post at the residence of a retired judge, a police station, CRPF camp and two Army camps.At the guard post securing the residence of retired Justice Muzafar Attar in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, militants injured two policemen and looted four self-loading rifles.A police official said the militants opened indiscriminate fire at policemen guarding the house, injuring two of them. Attar, who is now affiliated with a political party, and his family were not at home.“Both the injured have been shifted to Anantnag district hospital. While one of them is stable, another is in a critical condition,” the police official said.In Pulwama district, militants hurled a grenade at a CRPF camp in Padgampora locality. Minutes later, militants fired a rifle grenade at the police station in Pulwama town and opened fire at the policemen. A police spokesman said two of their personnel sustained minor injuries. The fifth attack of the day targeted an Army camp in north Kashmir’s Sopore sub-district. The DGP said a rifle grenade was fired at the camp.Later in the night, the militants also attacked an Army camp at Lurgam village of Tral. Two personnel were injured in the attack. A police spokesman said the militants fired a rifle grenade at the 42 Rashtriya Rifles camp. 

Meeting on security

New Delhi: After holding meetings with CMs of Naxal-affected states and those having boundaries with Pakistan, China and Myanmar, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has called a conference of state Home Ministers on July 3 to discuss internal security.