Srinagar: Terming the attack on its men as an “act of desperation”, Border Security Force on Friday ‘assured’ that it will not get provoked by such attacks in Kashmir Valley.
“Probably it was an act of desperation on part of certain anti-national elements because they don’t want peace in Valley,” Inspector General of BSF, Kashmir Frontier, P S Sandhu, told reporters at Humhama here.
Sandhu, who led his officers and soldiers to pay tributes to the slain Constable at Subsidiary Training Centre Humhama, said, “For last three years, there has been wonderful time in Kashmir with tourism and business booming. Certain elements who don’t want Kashmir to progress are doing this.”
A trooper was killed and two others injured when BSF’s 8th battalion A-Coy vehicle was attacked with a single burst fire at Methan Bypass in Gulshan Nagar in outskirts of Srinagar on Thursday morning.
“I will not say it indicates the rise in militancy. It was an unfortunate incident, a cowardly act. There was huge number of civilian movement at the time of the incident and had our boys retaliated, there would have been civilian causalities,” Sandhu said, adding, “Be rest assured as far as BSF is concerned, we will adopt all restraint. We will not get provoked and we will do our best to ensure peace in the Valley.”   
Earlier, Sandhu laid wreath on the coffin of constable Kishan Kalita before his body was flown to his native place in Assam.