Two jawans, two Army porters injured in militant attack in J&K’s Baramulla

In a separate incident, a non-local worker was fired upon and injured in Pulwama, as the Valley witnessed a sudden spurt in militants attacks in the past one week.

Two Army personnel and two porters were injured in a firefight with militants in north Kashmir’s Baramulla on Thursday, officials said.

In a separate incident, a non-local worker was injured after being fired at by suspected militants in south Kashmir’s Pulwama, as the valley witnessed a sudden spurt in terror attacks over the past one week.

Also read | J&K terror attack: Army operation continues in Baramulla

Initial reports suggest an Army convoy came under fire from the militants hiding in forests in Baramulla district, resulting in the firefight. An official said the incident took place near the Nagin post of Butapathri Sector. The area is close to the Line of Control (LoC) as well as the tourist spot of Gulmarg.

“During the firefight, two soldiers and two porters suffered injuries and were evacuated for medical care. The operation [against militants] is in progress,” a Srinagar-based spokesperson of the Army’s 15 Corps said.

Reinforcements were rushed to the attack site to throw a multi-layer cordon to trap the militants, officials said.

In a separate incident, Shubam Kumar, 19, son of Pritambar Singh, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor, was fired at and left injured by suspected militants in the morning in Batagund village of Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama. Officials said the victim sustained a bullet injury in his hand. His condition was described as “stable” in the hospital. Security forces cordoned off the area after the attack but could not trace the attackers. Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq termed such attacks on unarmed civilians in Kashmir as “un-Islamic”.

It’s the third attack in Kashmir valley on non-locals in the past one week. Eight civilians — one in south Kashmir’s Shopian on October 18 and seven in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal on October 20 — were killed in two separate attacks by militants.

The series of attacks have posed a major security challenge for the government. J&K Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a high-level meeting at the Unified Headquarters (UHQ) on Thursday, which was attended by top officials of the security wings, including the police, Army, CRPF, BSF, intelligence etc. Official sources said the meeting discussed “strategies to prevent further incidents” in Kashmir. Northern Army commander Lieutenant-General M.V. Suchindra Kumar, who also held a separate review of the security situation in the Kashmir valley, asked the forces “to remain vigilant”.

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In Srinagar, where hundreds of non-local labourers stay in residential areas, a security review was held by Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat and Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar, Imtiyaz Hussain. The meeting stressed on security audits of the ongoing key infrastructural projects in Srinagar and round-the-clock checkpoints at specific points and night patrolling.

“Measures to enhance the security arrangements in Srinagar district were also discussed,” officials said.

Meanwhile, scores of non-local workers have started leaving the valley because of the onset of the winter. There is concern about the attacks but the workers are confident of staying back. “I have been working in Kashmir for the past three decades. I never felt insecure. Workers leave every year when winters set in and return by spring or summer. This is a routine,” a non-local worker said at Srinagar’s Hawal area.

In a separate incident, the police said a grenade went off accidentally inside the Malkhana Court Complex in Baramulla, which left one police personnel on duty injured.

Meanwhile, the BJP general secretary Ashok Koul opposed talks with Pakistan. “If Gagangir-like incidents keep happening, the authorities will decide the restoration of Statehood to J&K on the inputs of security agencies. Pakistan is spreading terrorism and there is no need to talk to them. Let Pakistan stop spreading terrorism and hand over the wanted terrorists like Hizbul Mujahideen commander Syed Salahudin, and we will talk to them then,” he said.

Published - October 24, 2024 08:44 pm IST