Pakistan's hand behind Kulgam terror attack on CRPF jawans? Defence experts point to possible motive

The terror attack on a CRPF checkpost in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Wednesday could have been carried out by elements allegedly backed by Pakistan to demonstrate that the situation in Kashmir is still not normal, two defence experts have claimed.

Motorcycle-borne terrorists opened fire at a CRPF checkpost near Mir Bazar around 2.15 pm, injuring three personnel, one of them critically. The attackers escaped, prompting a massive manhunt.

Defence expert Captain (Retd) Anil Gaur said 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," Gaur said.

He described the incident as unfortunate, pointing out that it had been a long time since an attack of this kind took place, specifically targeting security forces.

Defence expert Hemant Mahajan described the incident as a "shoot-and-scoot" attack intended to demonstrate that normalcy had not been fully restored.

"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," Mahajan said.

"This kind of surprise attack, intended to show that everything is not normal, will take place once in a while," he said.

Mahajan also expressed confidence that the attackers would be tracked down and killed within one to two weeks.

"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 added.