Two killed, three hurt in separate attacks in Valley

SRINAGAR: Two people, including a soldier, were killed and three jawans injured in twin militant attacks in south Kashmir, officials said on Monday, the first casualties suffered by the army after it called off operations in the Valley for Ramzan.

Late on Sunday, a group of militants struck a 50 Rashtriya Rifles camp at Kakapora in Pulwama district. A soldier, Vikram Singh, was injured and died of his injuries at the base hospital the next day, the army said.

In the exchange of fire, Bashir Ahmad Gania, who was passing through the area in his taxi, was also killed. The 26-year-old driver was caught in the crossfire, police said. Militants, however, managed to escape under the cover of darkness.

Army spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said the attack was a provocation. “In a cowardly and provocative act of terror, terrorists carried out a stand-off attack on the Kakapora army camp on Sunday. One soldier was killed in the brief encounter that followed the attack,” Kalia said.

A few hours later in neighbouring Shopian district, an improvised explosive device went off on in Turkwangam village early Monday, injuring three soldiers, including an officer, who were in a mine protected-vehicle. “Militants had planted an IED near a water tank which was set off when an army vehicle passed through the area. The vehicle suffered damages and the three jawans inside the vehicle suffered injuries,’’ a police spokesman said.

Some reports claimed a remote control triggered the blast.

“It is learnt that militants after triggering the blast escaped from the spot. Bomb disposal squad deployed at the site of the blast recovered a second IED from the site,” the spokesman said.

Army chief Bipin Rawat, who was in the Valley last week, had hinted that the decision to halt military operations could be extended.

He did warn “that any action from terrorists then we will have to rethink on this ceasefire or suspension of operations”.

The army has come under attack at least three times after it called a halt to operations and door-to-door searches on May 15.