Five CRPF men, including an officer, were killed when Jaish-e-Muhammad fidayeen stormed their camp at Lethpora in Pulwama on Sunday. The camp also houses training facility and residential quarters.
Taking responsibility of the attack, the Jaish spokesman ridiculed the Operation All Out launched by the security forces to wipe out militancy from Kashmir.
The fidayeen cut the barbed fence of 185 battalion at 2 am near a hillock and fired indiscriminately, lobbed grenades and quickly moved to the third floor of the camp.
The sudden attack took the CRPF by surprise which sought reinforcements. Before launching the counterattack, the security forces rescued several people.
The fidayeen injured six CRPF men before they could be traced and engaged. Four of them succumbed to their injuries. One died of a heart attack.
One of the slain CRPF men hails from Kashmir and another from Rajouri while two others are from Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.
Intense firing ensued after the reinforcements reached the camp.
The bodies of two militants were recovered during room to room clearance operation, CRPF spokesman Rajesh Yadav said. The exchange of fire is currently on, he said.
The fidayeen attack is seen as a retaliation for the killing of Jaish Kashmir chief Noor Mohammad Tantray alias Noor Trali. Tantray was killed by security forces at Sambora village of Pulwama district a few days ago.
The latest attack took place amid intelligence reports of a possible fidayeen strike.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti condemned the attack and said violence and destruction have torn apart the social fabric of the state and inflicted economic, academic and social losses on the people.
Last time such an attack happened on October 3, when Jaish fidayeen stormed the Border Security Force (BSF) camp adjacent to Srinagar International Airport and Air Force Station.
