Three jawans killed in terrorist ambush on convoy in Shopian
SRINAGAR: Three soldiers and a woman were killed when militants ambushed an army patrol in Shopian area of south Kashmir, police said on Thursday, the third such strike against troops in Jammu and Kashmir in less than 10 days.
Five other soldiers including two officers of lieutenant colonel and major rank were among the injured, sources told HT.
“Such incidents have only strengthened our resolve to continue relentless operations against Pakistan sponsored anti -national in the Kashmir valley,” tweeted the army’s northern command headquarters.
Residents alleged soon after the attack, soldiers barged into their houses and ransacked properties, besides arresting four people. The army confirmed the strike and said three of its soldiers, including one from Anantnag, were killed during the attack. Anantnag was among the worst affected areas during the 2016 summer unrest with at least 25 deaths in four months.
The soldiers have been identified as Lance Naik Gh Mohi ud din from Marhama area in Bijbehara, Sapper Sreejith MJ from Paruthipully village of Palakkad in Kerala and Sepoy Vikas Singh Gurjar of Andhyakhara Nodoti village in Karouli district of Rajasthan .
Militants fired at the 44 Rashtriya Rifles patrol team in the Mulu Chitragam area of Shopian on Thursday morning.
The men came under fire at around 2am as they were returning after a search operation in Kungnoo. A woman suffered injuries in the exchange of fire. She died on way to hospital, sources said.
This is the third time in 10 days that the army has come under attack in Kashmir.
A major was killed and three militants gunned down in north Kashmir’s Handwara on February 14. The same morning, three soldiers and a militant were killed in a gunfight in Bandipora, 57km away from Handwara.
Following these attacks, army chief Bipin Rawat had warned that those who hinder counter-insurgency operations or display flags of Pakistan and the Islamic State in Kashmir would be considered as “anti-national” and would “face action”.