A day after Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had said the SOPs were not followed, CRPF Director General K Durga Prasad on Monday claimed that all the SOPs were followed by the convoy that was hit by the leT terrorists in Pampore in Jammu & Kashmir leading to death of eight personnel. He, however, admitted there were lapses in checking vehicles on the road.
With a series of attacks on the CRPF convoy, the CRPF now plans to equip its buses/vehicles plying in Jammu and Kashmir with three feet high bullet-proof armour on the lines of such fitments in Army vehicles.
Prasad said the SOPs will be reviewed in the wake of the attacks on its convoys.
At a press conference at the force’s headquarters here, Prasad said his men, before laying down their lives, valiantly fought back the two terrorists and fired as many as 91 rounds.
“I really have no comments to make on that...But whatever SOPs are in position right now they have been followed and that’s the reason why I said that we will require and can have a look at them again. The SOPs were absolutely followed,” he said when asked to comment on Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s statement voicing doubt over whether the SOPs were followed properly by the CRPF convoy.
He said the force will look at “tweaking” its security drills this time too, as always, and as a special measure, 3-feet high and 3mm thick bullet proof plates will be used on vehicles to provide them armoured protection, as was being done by the army.
Admitting that there were intercepts of imminent attack on security forces and there were lapses in checking of vehicles, Prasad further said the force needs to do a “little bit more” of vehicle checking by deploying security check posts with JK police so that they can “detect” possible terrorists traveling undercover.
“We will have to conduct vehicle checks at more places and more frequently. The militants who came to attack were wearing normal black trousers and full sleeve T-shirts and were not wearing usual ‘kaftaans’ that they could be identified,” he added.
It has been decided that henceforth convoys will move in blocks of at least three vehicles so they are better protected.
Prasad said the paramilitary had “some information” about a few “surrendered militants” having helped the two slain terrorists in carrying out the attack.
He said, after dropping the two terrorists at a busy marketplace in Pampore, a car that had brought them there, reversed and zipped away towards Srinagar city.
The DG praised his troops who were onboard the ill-fated bus. He said that three of his martyred men Head Constable Vir Singh fired 39 rounds from his AK series rifle, Constable Satish fired 32 rounds from his INSAS rifle and Head Constable P Yadav fired 20 bullets from his assault rifle before succumbing to injuries.
Prasad said the terrorists, who attacked the bus from “very near” and fired as many as 200 bullets from AK rifles, were neutralised by CRPF troops who were onboard a bullet proof mobile bunker as part of their road opening task.
The DG said the entire ambush lasted between 3 and 7 minutes.
Army’s 51 RR (Rashtriya Rifles) unit reached the spot after the incident got over, he said, adding all the 45 CRPF men in the bus were armed.
Prasad said five troopers injured in the attack out of 22 are in intensive care on ventilator and the condition of one jawan is “very critical.”