Terror marks a new year: 7 CRPF men killed in UP camp, attackers get away

All four terrorists, who were reportedly in CRPF uniform, fled.

The attack took place around 2.30 am today when a group of jawans were warming themselves in the chill, huddled around a bonfire at the main gate of the centre which sprawls across 150 acres.

Armed with AK-47 rifles and grenades, the attackers reached the sentry post along the Delhi-Lucknow railway line — the tracks serve as a boundary between the CRPF centre and the road next to it — and killed four paramilitary personnel and a rickshaw-puller, Inspector General (Operations) of CRPF A P Maheshwari said.

The Quick Reaction Team of the recruitment centre hit back forcing three of them to flee. One, however, managed to enter the administrative block of the centre where he killed three unarmed CRPF men, Maheshwari said. CRPF personnel fired at the lone militant who also escaped.

The CRPF personnel killed were identified as Afzal Ahmed, Anand Kumar, Ramji Sharan, Manbir Singh, Devinder Kumar, Vikas Saini and Rishikesh Sahai.

“The Kashi Vishwanath train, which passes at around 2.20 am, had left and I was lying in the cabin when suddenly I heard a rapid burst of gunfire. There was the sound of crackers earlier but this was gunfire,” said Kailash, the railway gateman posted at the cabin.

Kailash said he was scared and could think of “nothing else but to escape through a window into the adjoining thicket.” However, the jawans, who were posted there were easy targets — several bullet marks on the railway cabin and blood stains on the road showed how little resistance was offered. Police officials said one of the intruders could have “perched himself in the cabin” and provided cover for the others to sneak through the gate.

Intermittent firing was heard later in the day as state police, assisted by the CRPF, conducted combing operations in the area surrounded by sugarcane plantations.

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