• 3 injured, one critical shifted to Army hospital Srinagar: Officials
• Non local labourer injured in Tral terrorist attack
• Massive search operation underway in dense forests
• Security beefed up in the area
• Sniffer dogs being used to track the terrorists: Police
Srinagar, Oct 24: Two soldiers and two civilian porters working with the Army were killed in a terror attack on an army vehicle near the Nagin post in the Botapathri area of Gulmarg, Baramulla district, on Thursday evening, officials said. The attack also left three soldiers injured.
This is the third attack in Kashmir in less than a week. The incident occurred just 6-7 kilometers from the Line of Control, where civilian movement remains mainly restricted.
According to sources, on Thursday evening, terrorists targeted an Army vehicle, which was part of a convoy, near the Nagin post at Bota Pathri, around seven kilometers from the main tourist resort of Gulmarg. Bota Pathri is close to the Line of Control, and civilian movement in the area is restricted.
A senior police officer told Rising Kashmir that terrorists ambushed an army vehicle in Botapathri in Gulmarg in which four persons including two Armymen were killed. Three others were injured in the deadly attack and were rushed to Army base hospital Srinagar for treatment.
The official said that slain porters have been identified as Mushtaq Ahmed Chaudhary from Nowshera, Manzoor Ahmed Mir from Barnate Boniyar. Porter Bashraat Ali from Uri is critically injured. The names of Armymen are being ascertained, he said.
Meanwhile, Srinagar based Chinar Corps spokesman said that a brief firefight took place between Indian Army and terrorists in the general area Butapathri, Baramulla. Details are being ascertained, he said.
“During the firefight two soldiers and two porters have suffered injuries and have been evacuated for medical care,” the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, additional reinforcements have been sent to the area, and a large search operation has been launched to neutralise the terrorists.
An Army officer said that security has been beefed up across the entire forest area. “Tracking terrorists in dense forests is challenging due to the dense foliage and limited visibility. We are using both aerial surveillance and sniffer dogs to track the terrorists,” he said.
“We deeply regret the loss of precious lives in this operation who have made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty,” he said.
The Army official said that all formations of Northern Command are committed to eliminating the scourge of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir for which the relentless operations will continue.
The attack on the army vehicle comes just hours after the newly-elected Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah, reached New Delhi to hold a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In another incident, terrorists shot at and injured a labourer from Uttar Pradesh in the Tral area of Pulwama district in southern Kashmir Thursday morning, officials said.
A police officer told Rising Kashmir that terrorists fired upon migrant labourer at Batgund Tral village in Pulwama and fired him in right arm.
The victim, 19-year has been identified as Shubam Kumar (19) S/O Pritam Singh resident of UP.
He was immediately rushed to hospital, where his condition is stated to be stable. We had cordoned off the area and also launched search operation,” he said.
“Terrorists have used pistol for the attack and soon after the attack, area was cordoned off the area to trace and terrorists involved in the attack,” the official said.
