Why did terrorists target CRPF Personnel in Kulgam? experts explain 'shoot-and-scoot' attack

A day after three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured in a firing attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, defence experts have described the incident as a "shoot-and-scoot" operation, warning that such surprise attacks may continue despite a decline in terrorist activities in the region.

Defence expert Hemant Mahajan on Wednesday expressed confidence that the attackers would be tracked down and killed within the next one to two weeks. He said the assailants fired at the CRPF personnel deployed at a checkpoint before fleeing, apparently to create an impression that the security situation in the region remained unsettled.

Speaking to ANI in Pune, Mahajan said, "This terror attack, which took place in Kulgam on a CRPF picket, was a shoot-and-scoot kind of an attack. In the sense that the terrorists came in some kind of a vehicle, fired, injured CRPF jawans, and thereafter disappeared."

He added, "Though I want to clarify here itself that this was a shoot-and-scoot kind of attack, meaning that if the terrorists had stayed put, they would have been killed. I have no doubt in my mind that in the next one to two weeks, they will be tracked down and killed."

Mahajan said such surprise attacks were intended to send a message that normalcy had not fully returned to the region. He described the fight against Pakistan-backed terrorism as a long-term challenge and said security forces must remain prepared.

"But this kind of surprise attack, intended to show that everything is not normal, will take place once in a while. It is a long haul as far as fighting terrorism backed by Pakistan is concerned. We have to be ready for it, and we have to be prepared," he said.

Why do Kulgam and Shopian remain sensitive areas?

Retired Captain and defence expert Anil Gaur also termed the attack unfortunate, pointing out that Kulgam and neighbouring Shopian had remained major centres of terrorist activities since the 1990s.

Speaking to ANI in Jammu, Gaur said that while most terrorist activities in the region had been brought under control, some underground and overground workers were allegedly still active.

"It is very unfortunate that this attack has taken place at a checkpoint, a naka established by the CRPF. These two motorcycle-borne terrorists arrived and opened fire on the CRPF personnel manning the naka. The CRPF personnel have been injured and have been hospitalised," he said.

Gaur alleged that the attackers were linked to networks backed by Pakistan and described the incident as a rare attack specifically targeting security forces after a prolonged period.

"The problem over there is that Kulgam and Shopian have been major centres of terrorist activities since the 1990s. Today, as we can see, most of these activities have been brought under control. However, some underground and overground workers are still operating there. They are allegedly on the payroll of Pakistan, and they are the ones who have now carried out this attack. It has been a long time since an attack of this kind took place, specifically targeting security forces," he added.

What happened in the Kulgam attack?

The firing took place at around 2.15 pm on Wednesday when two motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire on CRPF personnel deployed at a naka (checkpoint), around four kilometres from the National Highway. The attackers fled immediately after the assault.

In a statement, the CRPF said, "There has been firing on CRPF Naka at Kulgam, Kashmir. Three personnel injured. Operations are going on to nab the perpetrators, and best possible treatment is being provided to the injured personnel."

The injured personnel were shifted to Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag, while multi-agency operations were launched to track down the attackers.

The injured have been identified as Head Constable Somveer Singh and Constables Rakesh Dass and Santosh Chandru.

According to the available details, Constable Santosh Chandru, a resident of West Bengal, sustained injuries to his abdomen and spine. Constable Rakesh Dass, from Assam, suffered a bullet injury to his leg, while Head Constable Somveer Singh, from Madhya Pradesh, was shot in the arm.

While two personnel sustained minor injuries, the third was reported to be slightly serious. Dass and Singh were stated to be stable.

(With ANI inputs)