Two porters working with the Army were killed on Thursday while four people, including three soldiers, were injured as terrorists attacked a vehicle of the force six kilometres from tourist hotspot Gulmarg in north Kashmir, officials said here. They said the terrorists opened fire on the Army vehicle in the Bota Pathri area in the evening, when it was headed for the Nagin post in the Afrawat range.
Citing initial reports, the officials said two porters were killed while another porter and three soldiers were injured. The condition of two of the injured soldiers was stated to be critical and additional troops have been rushed to the area, they said. The officials said the soldiers who were in the vehicle opened retaliatory fire when they came under attack.
The Army's Srinagar-based Chinar Corps said in a post on X, "A brief firefight took place between #IndianArmy and terrorists in general area Bota Pathri, #Baramulla." "Details are being ascertained," it said. The area is completely dominated by the Army and there have been reports in the past that a terrorist group had infiltrated during early summer and taken shelter in the higher reaches of the Afrawat range, the officials said.
The Bota Pathri area was recently opened to tourists.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the recent spate of attacks in the Valley was a matter of serious concern. "Very unfortunate news about the attack on the army vehicles in the Bota Pathri area of North Kashmir which has resulted in some casualties and injuries. This recent spate of attacks in Kashmir is a matter of serious concern," he said in a post on X. "I condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms and send my condolences to the loved ones of the people who lost their lives. I also pray that the injured make a complete and swift recovery," he said. Former chief minister and People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the attack.
"Shocked and deeply saddened by the militant attack on an Army convoy in Baramulla in which a civilian porter was killed. Condemn it unequivocally and pray for the swift recovery of the injured soldiers," she posted on X. The attack on the Army vehicle comes amid a spike in terror incidents in the Valley. In a deadly attack on Sunday, six non-local labourers and a local doctor were killed when terrorists fired indiscriminately upon them at the Z-Morh tunnel construction site in the Gagangir area of central Kashmir's Ganderbal district.
Before that, a labourer from Bihar was shot dead by terrorists in Shopian district on October 18. Earlier on Thursday, terrorists shot at and injured a labourer from Uttar Pradesh, Shubam Kumar, in the Tral area of Pulwama district.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday asked the security grid to prepare a comprehensive strategy to eliminate the terrorists and their logistics network in Jammu and Kashmir to fulfil the government's commitment of ensuring a peaceful atmosphere in the Union territory. Chairing the Unified Headquarters (UHQ) meeting here, Sinha told the top security brass to carry out a security audit of all vital projects in Jammu and Kashmir and plug the loopholes, if any, officials said here after the meeting.
The meeting, attended by General officer Commanding-in-Chief of Army's Northern Command Lt General M L Suchindra, Chief secretary Atal Dulloo, DGP Nalin Prabhat and other senior officers, discussed the attacks on non-local labourers including the one at Gagangir tunnel construction site that left seven people dead and five injured. The LG directed the security forces to go for hot pursuit of the terrorists involved in the Gagangir attack so that they can be brought to justice at the earliest, the officials said.
Sinha also called for proactive action by all security agencies to dismantle the network of overground workers which enables the ultras to carry out such dastardly acts, they said. "The Lieutenant Governor told in the meeting that the government is committed to making Jammu and Kashmir terror free so that people of the union territory can lead a normal life," the officials said. They said the LG impressed upon the officials that the ongoing projects in Jammu and Kashmir are key to development of the union territory and prosperity of its people. "These projects need to be secured and protected against the evil designs of the inimical elements," Sinha told the meeting.