SYED BASHARAT
SRINAGAR, Feb 15: The alleged casual approach of CRPF authorities who ‘ignored’ specific intelligence input has mainly led to the Lethpora-Pulwama incident that took 49 lives of CRPF personnel on Thursday afternoon.
The blast was so intense that its sound reverberated across the interiors in Srinagar city. Top sources revealed to Kashmir Despatch that the intelligence wing of Jammu and Kashmir police had warned all Deputy Inspector General(s) of CRPF across Kashmir to remain alert and sanitize their respective areas before occupying their places of deployment in light of use of IEDs by militants.
“Before occupying your place of deployment, please sanitize the area properly as there are inputs of use of IEDs. Matter most urgent,” reads the message number LOG. NO 14-A dated February 08, 2019, a copy of which is in possession of the Kashmir Despatch.
This message was addressed to DIG CRPF South Srinagar, DIG CRPF North Srinagar, DIG CRPF NKOR Baramulla, DIG CRPF SKOR Anantnag, DIG SSB SHQ, SPL OPS Kashmir; all district SSPs Kashmir Zone including DS.
The copy of the message was also sent to IG CRPF Kashmir Operations Sector, IG CRPF Srinagar sector, IG BSF FTR HQ Kashmir, all range DISGP of Kashmir zone, BGs Ops 15 Corps, DIG ITBP Kashmir, Col GS 31 Sub Area, Co 1LU Air force Co 56 APO, Commandant CISF unit HEP Uri 1, SSP APCR Srinagar for all concerned.
Corroborating the lapses but not on merit, Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Thursday said the Pulwama attack was partly the result of an ‘intelligence failure’, especially due to the fact that security forces could not detect the loading and movement of the explosive-laden Scorpio.
Speaking to few reporters Malik said: “We cannot accept that (intelligence failure). We could not detect or check the vehicle full of explosives moving on the highway. We must accept that we are at fault also.”
He said: “The fact that we did not know that there was a fidayeen among them is also part of the intelligence failure. I can admit that. This man (the bomber identified as Adil Ahmad Dar) was very much on our list of suspects. But due to the pressure they were under, no one was giving them shelter in their homes. So he must have escaped to the jungles or the hills and got lost. We knew about him but could not trace him. This was just a chance thing and he was the rare one who got away. The rest have been getting killed.”
The incident once again has raised serious questions over the lack of co-ordination between the state police and the paramilitary forces.
“We had alerted them (CRPF) about the possible IED blast but why did the CRPF took it lightly remains a question. It is an unfortunate incident,” a top police officer revealed told Kashmir Despatch.
